Jerry Ray Craine, Possession of a Firearm, Oklahoma 2018

In a shocking turn of events, a Perkins man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for possessing a firearm after a misdemeanor conviction of domestic violence.

Jerry Ray Craine, 37, of Perkins, Oklahoma, was found guilty of possessing a 9mm semi-automatic handgun in Payne County on July 29, 2018.

According to an indictment filed on January 15, 2019, Craine's firearm possession was a federal crime due to his March 2018 misdemeanor conviction in state court for domestic assault and battery in the presence of minor children.

Craine's troubles began when he learned that his mentally unstable father had gained access to another firearm Craine possessed at his residence in Perkins. After his father threatened to shoot him, Craine retreated to his vehicle and retrieved the 9mm semi-automatic handgun, along with two magazines of ammunition.

He then went back into the house, where his father shot at him and he returned fire. After shooting a dozen rounds, Craine retreated, reloaded, and killed his father by firing more shots. On October 24, 2018, the Payne County District Attorney's Office charged him with manslaughter in the first degree.

On March 6, 2019, Craine pleaded guilty to the federal firearm charge, but later attempted to withdraw his guilty plea citing a recent Supreme Court case. The court denied his motion, stating that the case did not change the principle that a prohibited person commits a federal crime by possessing a firearm, even if unaware of the prohibition.

Today, U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Craine to 10 years in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. During the sentencing hearing, the court found that a cross-reference to first-degree murder applied under the United States Sentencing Guidelines.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation—Oklahoma City Field Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Perkins Police Department. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Payne County District Attorney Laura Austin Thomas and her office also provided support.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia E. Barry prosecuted the case, which is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods and Project Guardian, the federal government's signature initiatives to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdok/pr/perkins-man-who-killed-his-father-sentenced-10-years-possession-firearm