Dave Ellis Wilson, Methamphetamine Distribution, Oklahoma 2018

Muskogee, Oklahoma – A multi-agency investigation, ‘Operation Juggernaut,’ has led to federal sentences for six Tahlequah area residents, including Dave Ellis Wilson, aka ‘Jughead,’ 44. Wilson, a resident of Tahlequah, entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to 120 months in prison for distributing a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.

The investigation, which involved the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Tahlequah Police Department (TPD), the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service (CNMS), the District 27 District Attorney’s Office, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP), targeted distribution of methamphetamine and firearm offenses in the Tahlequah area.

Wilson, who received 3 years’ supervised release to follow his prison term, was one of six individuals indicted as a result of the Juggernaut operation. The others included Gary Edward Scott, 39, Mary Ann Scott, 42, Anthony Lewayne Byfield, 29, Christopher Andrew Loveall, 25, and Jason Fred Fortner, 43.

According to court documents, Wilson was sentenced on September 12, 2018, for distributing a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. In addition to the prison term, he received 3 years’ supervised release.

Dave Ellis Wilson, whose full name is Dave Ellis Wilson, aka ‘Jughead,’ was the leader of the group and was responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in the Tahlequah area. The investigation, which was a joint effort between local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies, removed illegal drugs and guns from the community and likely prevented tens of thousands of dosage units of methamphetamine from reaching potential consumers.

“Juggernaut was a series of investigations with common components that involved local, state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies,” said United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester. “Because these agencies routinely communicate and work with each other, they became aware of certain connections between their individual investigations and worked toward the common goal of making our communities safer.”

The operation resulted in federal sentences for six individuals, with each defendant receiving prison terms ranging from 37 months to 120 months. The sentences handed down are a direct result of cooperation between the ATF and local law enforcement agencies.