Aaron Welch Earley, a resident of Stilwell, Oklahoma, has been sentenced to 24 months in prison for committing arson in Indian Country. The sentence was handed down by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. In addition to the prison term, Earley is required to pay restitution amounting to $130,268.91.
The case against Earley originated from an investigation conducted by the Adair County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Earley pleaded guilty on March 28, 2024. Investigators reported that on March 14, 2023, he intentionally set fire to a residence in Westville, Oklahoma. The property was insured and located within Adair County on the Cherokee Nation Reservation. The incident resulted in losses exceeding $100,000.
Chief U.S. District Judge Ronald A. White presided over the sentencing hearing. Following his sentencing, Earley will remain under the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he is transferred to a designated facility within the United States Bureau of Prisons system to serve his sentence without parole.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the prosecution in this case.