An Oklahoma man has been sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder in Indian Country, following a 2020 shooting incident at a local bar.
Thomas Raymond Phillips III, 36, of Fort Towson, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge John F. Heil III. He was also sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison for using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The sentences will be served consecutively.
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The charges stem from a December 19, 2020, incident where Phillips was ejected from a bar in Fort Towson for instigating a fight. Upon being removed from the establishment, Phillips fired multiple shots into the bar, striking and killing a patron.
“The defendant’s malicious and senseless acts stole a life, and the defendant will spend his remaining days in prison paying the price justice demands for his crimes,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “I commend county, state, and federal law enforcement for their investigative work and the prosecuting attorneys for presenting the case and advocating for the victim.”
The case was investigated by a multi-agency effort involving the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
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Phillips was found guilty of the charges by a federal jury in October 2023.
Judge Heil presided over the sentencing hearing, where Phillips received a life sentence for the murder conviction and an additional 10 years for the firearm charge. The sentences will be served consecutively, and Phillips will remain in custody pending transportation to a federal prison facility. There is no possibility of parole in the federal system.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dean Burris and T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States in the case.
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