Woodward Man Pleads Guilty To Unlawful Possession Of Firearms And Ammunition After Being Involuntarily Committed To A Mental Institution

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – TIMOTHY DEAN EIKE, 19, from Woodward, Oklahoma, pled guilty to being in unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition after being involuntarily committed to a mental institution, announced Sanford C. Coats, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.

According to court filings and information from the plea hearings, on July 24, 2012, Eike was discovered to be in possession of a 20 gauge shotgun and a 30.06 caliber rifle, together with 97 rounds of 20 gauge ammunition and 168 rounds of 30.06 ammunition. The Woodward Police Department was aware that Eike had been ordered to involuntary inpatient mental health treatment on February 10, 2012. As a person who had been involuntarily committed to a mental institution, Eike was a prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal firearms laws. Further investigation revealed that on July 5 and 9, 2012, Eike purchased the weapons and ammunition from a licensed firearms dealer in Woodward, Oklahoma, and falsely represented that he had never been involuntarily committed to a mental institution.

Eike was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 7, 2013. He pled guilty on June 26, 2013, to being in unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition after being involuntarily committed to a mental institution. A sentencing date will be set by the Court in approximately 90 days where Eike faces up to ten years in prison.

This case was investigated by the Woodward Police Department, Woodward County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward J. Kumiega.