Adair County Resident Sentenced To 12 Years For Kidnapping And Federal Firearm Crimes

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announces that Justin Kyle Muskrat, age 38, of Bunch, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 151 months imprisonment for one count of Kidnapping in Indian Country, and 120 months for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. The counts were ordered to run concurrently.

The charges arose from an investigation by the Adair County Sheriff's Office, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

On September 11, 2023, Muskrat pleaded guilty to kidnapping and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. According to investigators, on March 15, 2023, Muskrat, armed with a machete, forced the victim from a Muskogee residence and into the trunk of a waiting car. At an Adair County residence, Muskrat bound, threatened, and brutally assaulted the victim. Muskrat released the victim only after learning that Adair County Sheriff's deputies had identified Muskrat as the primary suspect in the kidnapping. At the time of Muskrat's arrest, law enforcement discovered Muskrat knowingly in possession of a .380 semi-automatic pistol and multiple rounds of ammunition despite a prior conviction for a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

The crimes occurred in Muskogee and Adair Counties, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation and the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

"ATF is committed to working with its partners to go after evil amongst us. Mr. Muskrat, a multi-convicted felon, allowed his anger to cloud his better judgment when he decided to kidnap and victimize a fellow Oklahoman. A firearm found on Mr. Muskrat's person during his arrest will extend his time behind bars to consider his actions for many years. Thanks to the hard work of the Adair County Sheriff's Office, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and the men and women of ATF, another violent offender is off the streets," stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.

"I commend the swift mobilization by the Adair County Sheriff's Office, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and the ATF in bringing Mr. Muskrat's violent activity to a halt." said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. "This office stands firm in its relentless commitment to prosecuting those who would seek to disrupt the peace of our streets and homes."

The Honorable William Paul Johnson, U.S. District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, sitting by assignment, presided over the sentencing hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Muskrat will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant United States Attorneys T. Cameron McEwen and Josh Satter represented the United States.