Cody Lee McClendon III Pleads Guilty to Meth Conspiracy, Assault

MCALESTER, OKLAHOMA — Cody Lee McClendon III, 36, of McAlester, Oklahoma, has pleaded guilty to orchestrating a multi-year methamphetamine trafficking ring from behind prison walls — all while using a contraband cell phone to run the operation and later spitting in the face of a Deputy U.S. Marshal during federal detention.

McClendon, also known as ‘Cody-Mac,’ admitted to participating in a drug conspiracy that distributed 500 grams or more of methamphetamine from late 2013 until January 27, 2016, violating federal law under Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(A). The charge carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and up to life, with a fine of $10,000,000.00 or both.

While incarcerated with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, McClendon used a hidden cell phone to coordinate drug sales with co-conspirators through phone calls, text messages, and Facebook. As a documented member of the Indian Brother Hood (IBH) gang, he leveraged his prison access to maintain control over street-level distribution networks throughout the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

On June 22, 2016, McClendon escalated from trafficking to direct violence when he forcibly assaulted a Deputy United States Marshal by spitting on the officer while the marshal was performing official duties. That act, captured in prison records, led to a second federal charge under Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1), punishable by up to 8 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.

The case emerged from ‘Home of the Brave,’ a sweeping joint investigation led by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). Agencies involved included the DEA’s McAlester and Tulsa offices, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, multiple local police departments, District Attorney Drug Task Forces across four districts, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police.

The plea was accepted by U.S. Magistrate Judge Kimberly E. West in Muskogee. A presentence investigation report is now underway. McClendon remains in federal custody pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Henson prosecuted the case for the United States.