Nicholas Earl Faulkner Sentenced to 12+ Years in Prison for Kidnapping and Weapons Charges

A member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for his role in a 2017 murder in Indian Country. Nicholas Earl Faulkner, 32, of Holdenville, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 155 months for kidnapping and 120 months for being a felon in possession of a firearm, to run concurrently, followed by five years’ supervised release.

Faulkner pleaded guilty to kidnapping and being a felon in possession of a firearm in May 2019. According to court documents, Faulkner was living with co-defendant Matthew Armstrong, who was involved in smuggling contraband into various prisons and jails for the Indian Brotherhood (IBH), a prison-based Indian gang active in Oklahoma.

On April 16, 2017, Armstrong had a dispute over drugs with the victim at his residence. Faulkner and Armstrong took the victim into the woods behind the residence, where Armstrong tied her to a tree. Faulkner brought Armstrong the binding materials, at Armstrong’s direction. Faulkner and Armstrong left the victim tied to the tree for several hours before returning with a rifle. Armstrong shot the victim twice, killing her. Faulkner then took the gun and left the area at Armstrong’s direction.

Faulkner’s co-defendant, Matthew Armstrong, pleaded guilty in October 2021 to murder in Indian Country, kidnapping, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and will be sentenced at a later date.

The FBI and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Rami Badawy and Brian Morgan of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Parsons of the Eastern District of Oklahoma, prosecuted the case.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson of the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and Special Agent in Charge Edward Gray of the FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office made the announcement.

Faulkner’s sentence marks a significant milestone in the investigation and prosecution of this case, which involved the brutal murder of a victim in Indian Country. The sentence serves as a reminder of the seriousness of kidnapping and weapons charges, and the importance of holding those responsible accountable for their actions.

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