“Shots Fired” Calls Result in Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to Serve 18 Years in Federal Prison

OKLAHOMA CITY – Last week, DARVIS DEAN ARNETT, JR., 25, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 216 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in illegal possession of firearms, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.

On December 14, 2021, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against Arnett charging him with being a prior convicted felon illegally in possession of a firearm. On February 15, 2022, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Arnett with three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On April 8, 2022, Arnett pleaded guilty to the three-count superseding indictment.

Public records reflect that on March 14, 2021, the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) responded to a shots-fired call at a Hampton Inn.  During a verbal altercation between Arnett, his two female accomplices, and unknown individuals, Arnett retrieved a handgun from a vehicle, fired one round into the air and two more rounds toward the male with whom he was fighting.  Arnett was arrested during a traffic stop a short while later along with his two female accomplices. The firearm was discovered in the trunk of the vehicle.

Additionally, on May 3, 2021, the Edmond Police Department responded to a shots-fired call in a residential neighborhood.  Arnett was seen on surveillance video firing more than 30 rounds of ammunition from a firearm fitted with a high-capacity drum magazine.  Pursuant to a search warrant, police located the gun in a clothes hamper in Arnett’s parent’s bedroom.

Lastly, on November 11, 2021, Arnett’s ex-girlfriend came home and discovered her front door had been kicked in.  Soon after she called 911 to report the burglary, Arnett showed up and tried to force his way into her apartment.  She and one of her female friends were able to hold the door shut and she again called 911.  When he could not get into the apartment, Arnett went to the parking lot where he fired the gun three times into the air.  OCPD officers responding to this call heard three gunshots from the area of the apartment complex.  Arnett was later arrested at his parent’s home in Edmond.  Prior to Arnett’s arrest, his father gave police the firearm Arnett had hidden in the attic.

Federal law prohibits prior convicted felons from possessing firearms or ammunition.  Prior to his arrest, Arnett had been convicted of at least three felonies out of Oklahoma County, including instances of robbery with a firearm and burglary in the first degree in CF-2015-2755, CF-2015-5969, and CF-2015-8233.

On Monday, January 30, 2023, U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Arnett to serve a total of 216 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.  In announcing the sentence, Judge Friot noted the nature and circumstances of the offense, including Arnett’s criminal history.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Oklahoma City Police Department, and the Edmond Police Department, with assistance from the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office.  Prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David R. Nichols, Jr., the case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime.  In October 2017, the Department announced the reinvigoration of Project Safe Neighborhoods and directed U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop crime-reduction strategies that incorporate lessons federal law enforcement has learned since the program’s launch in 2001.

This case is also part of "Operation 922" and "Operation Shots Fired."  "Operation 922" is the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.  "Operation 922" prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence.  "Operation Shots Fired" targets cases involving individuals who discharge firearms as part of their criminal activity, such as drive-by shootings or when shots are fired during robberies, domestic disputes, or other incidents. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.

Reference is made to court filings for further information.