Pittsburg County Resident Sentenced To 22 Years For Federal Drug And Gun Crimes

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Richard Allen Rollings, age 57, of McAlester, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 210 months each for two counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and 180 months for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, to be served concurrently. Rollings was also sentenced to an additional 60 months for one count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, which will be served consecutive to his other sentences.

The charges arose from investigations by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pittsburg County Sheriff's Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

On January 10, 2024, Rollings pleaded guilty to two counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, two counts of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and one count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.

According to investigators, in January of 2023, the Pittsburg County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at Rollings' residence south of McAlester. Deputies found over 400 grams of pure methamphetamine and multiple firearms, along with numerous rounds of ammunition. In June of 2023, DEA agents returned to Rollings' residence to serve a federal arrest warrant, observed evidence of additional narcotics violations, and obtained another search warrant. Agents found over 2.8 kilograms of pure methamphetamine, eleven additional firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and over $1,800 in cash.

Rollings was previously convicted and served time for multiple felony charges. In 1988, the State of Oklahoma convicted Rollings of Possession of a Controlled Drug with Intent to Distribute Amphetamine and Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute. In 1999, the United States convicted Rollings in federal district court on charges of Attempt to Manufacture Methamphetamine, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

"The lengthy prison sentence handed down against Mr. Rollings is the unapologetic consequence of criminals who choose to traffic drugs in rural, eastern Oklahoma," said Eduardo A. Chavez, DEA Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Division, whose area of responsibility covers the State of Oklahoma. "This accountability and success was the result of a joint investigation with our local law enforcement partners, specifically targeting dangerous criminal offenders involved in both methamphetamine and firearms trafficking. The men and women of DEA McAlester will continue to work closely with Oklahoma law enforcement to hold the line and keep our communities safe."

"Targeting suspected drug dealers for investigation and prosecution, especially repeat offenders like Rollings, continues to be a priority," said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. "Rollings refused to stop dealing in illegal narcotics and possessing firearms. Thanks to the cooperative work of law enforcement, he will be in federal prison well into his seventies and no longer a threat to the peace and safety of our communities."

The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Rollings 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 Attorney Erin Cornell represented the United States.