Son Found Guilty After Shooting and Conspiring with His Mother to Corruptly Tamper with Witnesses

TULSA, Okla. - Last night, a federal jury found a son and his mother guilty of crimes related to a 2023 shooting.

Marco Dionte Atkins, 19, of Tulsa and a citizen of Muscogee (Creek) Nation, was convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; and Tampering with a Witness by Corrupt Persuasion.

Sidney Brook Mayfield, 39, was convicted of Retaliating Against a Witness, Victim, and Informant; and False Declaration Before a Grand Jury.

They were both found guilty of Conspiracy to Tamper with a Witness, Victim, and Informant by Corrupt Persuasion; Corruptly Tampering with a Witness, Victim, and Informant; and Corruptly Obstructing the Due Administration of Justice.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, shortly after 8 pm on Nov. 26, 2023, Sidney Mayfield pulled into a convenience store directly across from the street from a high school. Five teenagers were in the car, including Marco Atkins, Mayfield's then 18-year-old son. The teens, Mayfield and Atkins, were seen entering the store on video surveillance. After a few minutes inside the store, a verbal altercation began between the teens and the victim. The teens, Mayfield and Atkins, left the store. The teens continued to argue with the victim outside. The video shows Atkins inside the vehicle, firing multiple rounds towards the victim, eventually hitting him. Another person was seen exiting the vehicle to grab something on the ground before Mayfield sped off.

Evidence presented to the jury showed that shortly after Atkins was arrested in January 2024, Mayfield and Atkins began tampering with witnesses, obstructing the investigation, and commenting about retaliation. Atkins original trial was set to begin in June of 2024 but was forced to be continued due to their obstruction and witness tampering. After the trial was continued in June, evidence showed Mayfield ranting on social media about a witness being a "snitch," announcing the witness's full name and where the family resided. In the video played for the jury, Mayfield stated that she would "kill anybody" that went against her or her son and that she would "ride with Marco until the [explicit] wheels fell off." Shortly after she posted that video, Mayfield was indicted and arrested, and Atkins was charged with additional counts.

The victim testified that he was shot once in the stomach. He did have a firearm on him, but he did not pull the gun out of his pocket. After being shot, the victim believes he fell backward, and the gun fell out of his pocket. He testified about passing out on the way to the hospital, where it took several days for him to recover from the gunshot wound. Officers testified they did not find a gun on the victim.

During the trial, Atkins testified that the victim made threats towards him and his friends. Atkins said the victim pointed a gun directly at him, and that is why he shot. Atkins described the victim falling backward after being shot and dropping his gun. He said that someone from his vehicle grabbed the victim's gun before they drove off. At the trial, prosecutors questioned Atkins about his testimony and evidence presented regarding obstruction and witness tampering. Atkins denied any involvement.

Atkins and Mayfield will remain in custody until sentencing at a later date.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John W. Dowdell and Kenneth Elmore prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about PSN, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.