MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – In a gritty turn of justice, 18-year-old J’Quarius J’Vontay Austin has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for stealing firearms from a pawn shop. The crime, which sent shockwaves through local law enforcement, was part of a brazen burglary that netted 18 firearms and ammunition.
Austin, a resident of Idabel, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty on March 24, 2025, to the charge of Stealing Firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensed Dealer. The investigation, a joint effort by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Broken Bow Police Department, and the Idabel Police Department, revealed that Austin and accomplices targeted a gun and pawn shop in Broken Bow on December 23, 2024.
Recovery efforts led to the uncovering of four stolen firearms linked to this heist during an investigation into a shootout that took place just three days after the theft. This case is a pivotal part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at dismantling cartels, transnational criminal organizations, and violent crime.
The operation, which leverages resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), underscores the commitment to protect communities. Presiding over the sentencing was U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
Austin will remain in custody under the U.S. Marshals Service until transported to a federal prison facility to serve his non-paroleable sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States in this case, ensuring that justice was served for the illegal trade of firearms.
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Key Facts
- State: Oklahoma
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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