Jacob Austin Duncan, Unregistered Destructive Device Possession, OK…

Jacob Austin Duncan, 26, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, is headed to federal prison for 24 months after being convicted of possessing an unregistered destructive device—a firearm concealed outside the law’s reach. The sentence, handed down in Muskogee, marks the end of a five-year investigation rooted in local and federal cooperation.

Duncan was formally charged under Title 26, United States Code, Sections 5861(d), 5841, and 5871, for knowingly possessing a destructive device not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The offense dates back to June 12, 2016, when authorities first uncovered evidence of the illegal weapon within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The case exploded from a joint probe led by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Investigators labeled the device a serious public threat, stressing that unregistered destructive weapons bypass safety and tracking protocols meant to protect communities.

U.S. District Judge Ronald A. White presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. Duncan will serve a nonparoleable federal sentence and remains in custody pending transfer to a designated federal correctional facility.

Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris prosecuted the case for the federal government, underscoring the DOJ’s aggressive stance on illegal firearms. “Weapons like this don’t just break the law—they endanger entire neighborhoods,” Burris stated in court.

Duncan will face an additional three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. Federal authorities say the sentence sends a clear message: unregistered destructive devices will be met with maximum accountability.

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