Ada Man Pleads Guilty to Sawed-Off Shotgun Possession

Jared James Mock, 36, of Ada, Oklahoma, stood silently in a federal courtroom in Muskogee this week after pleading guilty to possession of a sawed-off shotgun—an unregistered firearm built for close-range carnage. The charge, filed under Title 26, United States Code, Sections 5861(d), 5841, 5845(a), and 5871, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years behind bars, a $250,000 fine, or both.

The indictment traces back to December 10, 2015, when authorities allege Mock knowingly possessed a shotgun with a barrel less than 18 inches long—a weapon classified as a destructive device under federal law. Such firearms are not only harder to detect but are favored in violent crimes due to their compact size and devastating power at close range. Mock’s name was not listed in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, making his possession illegal.

The case emerged from a joint investigation led by the Ada Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). While details of the initial discovery remain sparse, sources confirm the weapon was seized during a targeted operation unrelated to a larger criminal enterprise—at least for now. Federal prosecutors moved swiftly to secure the charge, signaling zero tolerance for illegal firearms in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Kimberly E. West, presiding in Muskogee, accepted Mock’s guilty plea and ordered a presentence investigation report. Mock will remain in federal custody until his sentencing hearing, which has not yet been scheduled. His silence in court offered no clues—no remorse, no defiance, just the weight of a decade-long potential sentence hanging over him.

Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris handled the prosecution, underscoring the federal government’s continued crackdown on unregistered weapons. “These aren’t hunting rifles,” said a law enforcement source familiar with the case. “Sawed-off shotguns are concealable, lethal, and almost always tied to something darker. Even possession sends a message.”

As Oklahoma grapples with rising gun violence, Mock’s case serves as a stark reminder: illegal firearms don’t just skirt the law—they invite federal time. With sentencing pending, Mock now waits in custody, one plea away from a decade in prison for a weapon that should never have been in his hands.

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