Home Oklahoma City Press Releases 2009 Former McIntosh County Sheriff, Under-Sheriff Sentenced on Civil Rights Charges
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Former McIntosh County Sheriff, Under-Sheriff Sentenced on Civil Rights Charges

U.S. Attorney’s Office September 22, 2009
  • Eastern District of Oklahoma (918) 684-5100

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA—United States Attorney Sheldon J. Sperling announced today, TERRY ALAN JONES, age 36, and MYKOL TRAVIS BROOKSHIRE, age 38, both of Eufaula, were sentenced for Conspiracy Under Color of Law to Interfere with Interstate Commerce.

“Both defendants were sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment, followed by 24 months of supervised release,” reported U.S. Attorney Sperling. “The court imposed the maximum permissible federal prison term, consistent with advisory federal sentencing guidelines.”

“These sentences will not be subject to parole.”

“The defendants admitted the time of the charged conspiracy to be from about November 2007, until May 2009,” U.S. Attorney Sperling noted. “Defendant Jones was then Sheriff of McIntosh County. Defendant Brookshire was then the under-sheriff for McIntosh County.”

“The object of the charged conspiracy was for the defendants to use their positions as law enforcement officers to illegally obtain cash from motorists traveling in interstate commerce,” U.S. Attorney Sperling said.

U.S. Attorney Sperling added, “By virtue of their jobs in the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office, the defendants were in positions to execute traffic stops and search for contraband such as weapons, narcotics, or money that was derived from illegal activity.”

“In certain such traffic stop contexts, the defendants encountered large sums of United States currency. They took either all or a portion of the proceeds, and reported the remaining to the District Attorney as seized money to be forfeited. The funds defendants illegally obtained were divided relatively evenly between the defendants.”

U.S. Attorney Sperling further reported, “The defendants admitted an extortionate occurrence in November 2007. Defendant Brookshire seized a reported $7,000 from a motorist on I-40 in McIntosh County and released the driver. Given the facts, the District Attorney’s Office declined to forfeit the money. Nearly a year later, defendant Jones returned the money.”

“On May 21, 2009, the defendants confiscated a sum of money from another detained motorist,” U.S. Attorney Sperling continued. “The vehicle was driven by an agent acting in an undercover capacity. The officer who effected the stop contacted defendant Jones who directed defendant Brookshire to go to the scene. A search of the vehicle revealed six bundles of currency. Brookshire took one of the bundles to his patrol car, then placed the other five on the dash of his car. Defendant Jones then informed the undercover agent that he would be jailed if he failed to complete a release of currency form.”

“Defendant Jones then contacted the office of the Drug Enforcement Administration and advised that they had seized five bundles of currency. Defendant Jones then presented the undercover agent the release of currency form and again informed him that if he didn’t sign the form, he would go to jail. The undercover agent signed the form and was then released.”

“The defendants stole a portion of the confiscated cash.”

“A subsequent federal search warrant was executed. $2,600 in cash was found in an air duct to a stove exhaust fan in the then-undersheriff’s residence. $2,400 in cash was retrieved from the then-sheriff’s home.”

“Investigative agencies which participated in this investigation include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration-Dallas Field Division, the District 25 Office of the District Attorney Tom Giulioli and the Department of Public Safety.”

“Defendants Jones and Brookshire both resigned from office after an initial federal charge was filed on May 22, 2009. State charges are pending in McIntosh County.”

“The Honorable Ronald A. White, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over today’s hearing.  Both defendants were ordered to report to the Bureau of Prisons no later than noon on December 1, 2009.”

“Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Roberts represented the government at today’s hearings.”

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