A resident of Carter County, Timmy Lynn Tatum, aged 17 from Sulphur, Oklahoma, has pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and felony assault. The announcement came from the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. Tatum's plea pertains to one count of robbery in Indian Country, carrying a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to cause bodily harm, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The charges relate to an incident that occurred on June 30, 2024, in Murray County, within the Chickasaw Nation Reservation. It is alleged that Tatum, through force, violence, and intimidation, took and attempted to take items of value from a victim, and on the same day, assaulted the victim with a dangerous weapon.
The investigation leading to these charges was a joint effort involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Sulphur Police Department, the Murray County Sheriff's Office, and the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Gerald L. Jackson, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted Tatum's guilty plea and has requested a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine Tatum's sentence, taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory considerations.
Until his sentencing, Tatum will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service.
The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob R. Parker and Patrick M. Flanigan.