Oklahoma Man Pleads Guilty to Accessory After the Fact to Murder
A Seminole resident has pleaded guilty to Accessory After the Fact to Murder in Indian Country. Scott William Lanham, 45, of Seminole, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to the crime.
According to the Indictment, on April 2, 2019, Lanham knowingly assisted Coker Dean Barker in hindering and preventing Barker’s apprehension, trial, and punishment for murder. On April 10, 2023, Barker was convicted by a federal jury at trial for that murder.
Lanham’s crime occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from investigations by the Seminole Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Texas Rangers, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Lanham will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.
In the United States, a person who knowingly assists another in avoiding apprehension, trial, or punishment for a crime can be charged with Accessory After the Fact to Murder in Indian Country.
The case is a reminder that assisting a murderer can have serious consequences. Lanham will face sentencing for his role in the crime.
Key Facts
- State: Oklahoma
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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