A McCurtain County resident, Dale Warren Gribnitz, 67, from Valliant, Oklahoma, has been sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The sentencing was announced by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the Valliant Police Department, Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office, Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Authorities stated that on October 20, 2024, Gribnitz knowingly possessed a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun despite having a prior conviction for an offense punishable by more than one year in prison.
Gribnitz entered his guilty plea on April 8, 2025.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The program’s strategy includes building trust within communities, supporting organizations focused on violence prevention, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and tracking results since its enhancement on May 26, 2021.
The sentencing hearing was overseen by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby from the District of Utah. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly prosecuted the case.
