Armed Oklahoma Meth Kingpin Sentenced to Over 24 Years

OKLAHOMA CITY – In a brutal blow to the local drug trade, Artie Dustin Pope, 28, of Moore, has been sentenced to 292 months in federal prison for his role as an armed methamphetamine trafficker.

A federal grand jury had indicted Pope and Skyla Rae Pope, 27, also from Moore, on March 7, 2018. The couple faced charges including conspiracy to distribute meth and possession of a firearm during drug trafficking. According to court documents, Pope was planning to transport up to 100 pounds of meth from Kansas when he was caught.

After a search at his residence, authorities uncovered nearly 45 pounds of meth, ten pounds of marijuana, and multiple firearms. Both defendants pleaded guilty on May 22, 2018. Artie Dustin Pope admitted to conspiring to distribute drugs and using a firearm to further drug trafficking. His accomplice, Skyla Rae Pope, confessed to her involvement in the conspiracy.

On June 10, 2019, U.S. District Judge Robin J. Cauthron handed down the heavy sentence for Artie Dustin Pope, which includes five years of supervised release after his prison term. Skyla Rae Pope was sentenced to ten years imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release. The couple also forfeited a 2006 Ford F-150 pickup truck and several firearms.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Petermann prosecuted the case, which was a product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Oklahoma District 21 Drug Task Force, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Norman Police Department. The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Justice Department’s initiative to reduce violent crime. For more information on PSN, visit here.

The defendants’ sentences send a clear message about the severity of drug trafficking and gun-related crimes in Oklahoma. Public filings contain additional details on this gripping case.

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