Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

OKLAHOMA CITY – Last Wednesday, MARKUS LANOR BRYANT, 56, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was sentenced to serve 15 years in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

On April 8, 2021, a federal grand jury returned a five-count Indictment against Bryant.  Count 1 charged Bryant with drug conspiracy, Count 2 charged him with possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute, Count 3 charged him with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and Counts 4 and 5 charged him with being a felon in possession of firearms.  On July 1, 2021, a Superseding Information charged Bryant with one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.  On July 2, 2021, Bryant pleaded guilty to both counts of the Superseding Information.

Public records reflect that Bryant was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his lengthy criminal history.  These include convictions in Oklahoma County District Court case CF-1990-473 for conspiracy to distribute a controlled and dangerous substance (CDS) (cocaine), trafficking in illegal drugs (cocaine), and possession of marijuana; Oklahoma County District Court case CF-1990-742 for distribution of CDS (cocaine), trafficking in illegal drugs (cocaine), and maintaining a vehicle where CDS is kept; and Oklahoma County District Court case CF-2001-4668 for possession of drug proceeds and distribution of CDS (cocaine).  Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms or ammunition.

At the sentencing hearing last Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge David Russell sentenced Bryant to serve 180 months in federal prison.  In support of his sentence, Judge Russell cited, among other things, the serious nature of the offense and Bryant’s criminal history.  Judge Russell ordered Bryant to serve ten years of supervised release following the term of imprisonment.  Bryant has been in federal custody since his arrest on April 20, 2021.  The remaining counts of the Indictment were dismissed pursuant to a plea agreement.

This case was the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Harley and Danielle Connolly prosecuted the case.

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