John Ray Collins Jr. and Tambara Lorene Collins of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, have been sentenced for crimes involving child abuse and neglect. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma reported that both appeared in United States District Court for sentencing.
John Ray Collins Jr., 49, received a sentence of 240 months for attempted murder, 360 months each on two counts of child abuse, and 360 months for one count of child neglect. These sentences will run concurrently, totaling 30 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Tambara Lorene Collins, 38, was sentenced to 216 months per count on two counts of child abuse and one count of child neglect. Her sentences will also run concurrently, resulting in an 18-year imprisonment term followed by five years of supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police. A federal jury convicted John Collins on November 17, 2023. Tambara Collins entered a guilty plea on October 24, 2023.
Investigators found that between January and June 2023, John and Tambara Collins abused two children under their care. The children suffered bruising and abrasions across various parts of their bodies. In mid-June, John Collins escalated his actions by beating one child with a pipe and denying them basic necessities such as food and medical care. This resulted in severe injuries including head lacerations and broken bones before authorities intervened.
The offenses took place within Okmulgee County on the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
Doug Goodwater from the FBI remarked: “The suffering these innocent children endured at the hands of two people who were supposed to love and care for them is horrific and unconscionable.” He expressed pride in the investigative team's role in securing justice.
United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson acknowledged: “The defendants subjected children in their care to unthinkable abuse and neglect.” He praised collaborative efforts leading to convictions.
Judge John F. Heil III presided over the hearing where it was decided that both defendants would remain under U.S. Marshals Service custody until they are transported to a designated facility to serve their non-paroleable sentences.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caila M. Cleary and Sarah McAmis represented the prosecution during this case.