A Lawton man has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for unlawful possession of a machinegun, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
Jeremiah Alexander Dearing, 21, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison following his guilty plea to possessing a machinegun. The sentencing took place on August 22, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick, who also ordered three years of supervised release after Dearing’s prison term.
According to public records, the investigation began after officers with the Lawton Police Department observed Dearing during a recorded video jail call on October 9, 2024. During the call with an inmate at Grady County Jail, Dearing displayed an AK47-style pistol and flashed multiple gang signs. Because he was underage and prohibited from legally carrying such a firearm under Oklahoma law, detectives obtained a search warrant for his residence.
Law enforcement found five firearms in Dearing’s bedroom during the search, including a privately manufactured firearm without a serial number. All firearms were loaded and equipped with high-capacity magazines. Officers also seized a machinegun conversion device (MCD), which can convert a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic machinegun. In addition, approximately 92 fentanyl pills were recovered from the residence.
Dearing was charged by a federal Grand Jury on December 3, 2024, and pleaded guilty on February 11, 2025.
At sentencing, Judge Wyrick commented: “the significant public safety concern posed by Dearing’s conduct and the need to promote respect for the law.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lawton Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly prosecuted it.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which coordinates law enforcement efforts at all levels to reduce violent crime and gun violence in communities nationwide (https://justice.gov/psn). It is also included in “Project Switch Off,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s local PSN initiative targeting illegal machinegun conversion devices (https://justice.gov/usao-wdok).
Further details are available through public court filings.
