The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma has announced the sentencing of two Okemah residents, Daniel Levi Magness and Joanna Lee Higgins, on charges related to child abuse and neglect.
Daniel Levi Magness, 36, received a sentence of 220 months in prison for two counts of Child Abuse in Indian Country and one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country. Additionally, he was sentenced to 63 months for Maiming in Indian Country and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. These sentences will run concurrently, resulting in a total term of 220 months. Magness pleaded guilty to these charges on October 15, 2024.
Joanna Lee Higgins, 33, was sentenced to 140 months in prison for one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country after pleading guilty on November 12, 2024.
The case was investigated by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On January 31, 2024, officers conducted a welfare check at an Okemah residence where they found two children living under unsanitary conditions with visible bruises. One child had a disfiguring injury to an ear. A search revealed firearms including a semi-automatic pistol despite Magness’s prior felony conviction prohibiting firearm possession.
These offenses occurred within Okfuskee County on the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, falling under the jurisdiction of the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
Chief U.S. District Judge Ronald A. White presided over the hearing at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The defendants will remain with the U.S. Marshals Service until transferred to a federal prison facility to serve their non-paroleable sentences.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Paladino represented the United States during this case.
