Stricter sentences urged for felons with weapons

Several jury trials have been completed over the past two weeks, with two men being handed prison sentences.

During the first week of June, the Okmulgee County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case of State vs. Dakota Byrd, in CF-2019-024. Byrd had been charged with the felony crime of Endangering Others While Attempting to Elude. District Attor- ney Carol Iski stated that this case came after Byrd already had three prior felony convictions.

“After deliberating for 45 minutes, the jury found him guilty,” Iski said. “The case was then continued to present evidence of his three prior felony convictions, and after an hour, the jury returned a punishment verdict of ten years.”

The second case heard last week was the CM-2020-366, State vs. Howard “Buck” Sheward. Sheward of Henryetta, had been charged with a misdemeanor count of Violation of a Protective Order against the former mayor of Henryetta, Jennifer Munholland.

Iski stated that Sheward was found not guilty in the case. She stated that Sheward had previously been charged with a separate incident of violating that order and in that matter, the jury found him guilty.

Beginning Monday of this week, jury selection was held for the trial of Johnny Jawayne Pope, for Possession of Firearm After Former Conviction-Felony in CF-2020-85. Pope, 43, was represented by Attorney Brett Jennings.

During the trial, D.A. Iski called several witnesses including Okmulgee Police officers Dustin Clark, Jeremy Wade and James Ables.

Following the two-day trial, the jury deliberated, and quickly reached a guilty verdict, but indicated they were having difficulty reaching a unanimous decision on sentencing.

“They finally decided on a sentence of six years,” Iski said.

According to the district attorney, Pope had nine prior felony convictions, many of which were trafficking in narcotics, and two separate prison sentences for possession of firearms after former convictions.

Pope also had a felony conviction for a crime of violence, which was aggravated assault and battery. The range of punishment for this crime was three years to a life sentence.

“While I am grateful for the conviction, I think the jury failed to understand the danger that Mr. Pope posed to the community by carrying a gun,” Iski said after the trial. “He was admittedly a career criminal and legally could not carry a gun.

“Okmulgee is plagued with an incredible amount of gun violence with officers responding to calls of shots fired every single night,” the D.A. said, continuing. “We just had an officer shot by a gun-carrying felon. Most of the suspects involved in these gun crimes are individuals just like Mr. Pope, convicted felons carrying guns. In order to ever make Okmulgee a safe place again, we must get the guns out of the hands of those that legally cannot possess them, and that is only accomplished by stiff sentences, not slaps on the hands.”