Muskogee, Oklahoma – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma has announced that Derek Michael James, a 41-year-old resident of Durant, Oklahoma, has pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country. This charge carries a potential penalty of up to ten years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
The indictment stated that on January 27, 2025, James assaulted the victim using a dangerous weapon with the intention of causing bodily harm. The incident took place in Bryan County within the Choctaw Nation Reservation boundaries in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police Department. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jason A. Robertson accepted the plea and ordered a presentence investigation report to be completed.
The final sentence will be determined by a U.S. District Court Judge who will take into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Until sentencing is finalized, James will remain under the custody of the United States Marshals Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly and Patrick M. Flanigan represented the United States in this case.
