Ada Man Guilty of Sexual Abuse of Two Minors in Indian Country

Montelito Sanchez Simpkins, 36, of Ada, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a federal jury on October 20, 2021, of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country and Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian Country. The charges stem from two separate assaults on a 12-year-old and a 13-year-old child within the Chickasaw Nation Reservation in Pontotoc County.

The jury returned guilty verdicts after just 30 minutes of deliberation, capping a swift but intense two-day trial that began October 19 in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Simpkins now faces more than 10 years in federal prison for crimes prosecuted under Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2243(a), 2244(a)(3), 2246(2)(D), 2246(3), 1151, and 1152—all federal statutes applicable in Indian Country.

Court evidence revealed Simpkins sexually abused the 12-year-old victim on July 15, 2020, and the 13-year-old on September 27, 2020. Both victims are enrolled members of federally recognized Indian tribes, and the crimes occurred within the jurisdictional boundaries of the Eastern District of Oklahoma, triggering federal prosecution under Major Crimes Act provisions.

The investigation was spearheaded by the Ada Police Department with critical support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Edith Singer and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jo E. Lawless prosecuted the case, emphasizing the federal government’s commitment to protecting Native children from violent predators.

The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation. The program unites federal, state, and local law enforcement to identify, rescue, and bring justice for child victims while aggressively pursuing those who exploit them.

U.S. District Judge David Cleveland Joseph, temporarily assigned from the Western District of Louisiana, presided over the trial and ordered a presentence investigation report. Simpkins was remanded into federal custody immediately following the verdict and awaits sentencing. The court will schedule the hearing after the report’s completion.

RELATED: Fake ID Lands Bradenton Woman in Federal Lockup

RELATED: Glock Run to Canada: 2 Years Behind Bars