Joshua Gabriel Blake, a 31-year-old Oklahoma State Highway Patrol Trooper from Cameron, pleaded guilty on April 23 to one count of Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law. The charge is punishable by up to ten years in prison.
The case concerns an incident on January 28, 2025, in which Blake, while acting as a law enforcement officer and using a dangerous weapon, kicked a victim in the head. Prosecutors said this act willfully deprived the victim of constitutional rights protecting against unreasonable seizure and use of force by police officers.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol conducted the investigation. Magistrate Judge Gerald L. Jackson accepted Blake’s plea in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma and ordered a presentence investigation report. Sentencing will be determined by a U.S. District Court Judge after reviewing federal guidelines and statutory factors. Blake was released on bond with conditions pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Paladino represented the government.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma leads federal criminal investigations and prosecutions in eastern Oklahoma, manages civil actions for the United States, collects federal debts, and supports trust responsibilities to Tribal Nations across its jurisdiction according to its official website. The office covers 26 counties including Adair, Atoka, Bryan and others according to its official website.
It operates facilities in Muskogee according to its official website and functions under the United States Department of Justice according to its official website. Notably, it represents the only federal judicial district located entirely within Indian country according to its official website, advancing community wellness through trust responsibilities with sovereign Tribal Nations according to its official website.
