Tahlequah Man Gets 63 Months for Manslaughter, Gun Crime

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – In a grim reminder of the deadly consequences of reckless behavior, 39-year-old Kiah John Pritchett of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was handed a 63-month sentence for one count of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country and one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The terms will run concurrently, leaving Pritchett to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

The charges against Pritchett arose from a brutal crime that shook the community to its core. On July 4, 2021, the defendant gave a ride to a victim in his vehicle, but things took a deadly turn when an altercation broke out between the two. Pritchett, who had previously been convicted of a felony punishable by more than one year imprisonment, was prohibited from possessing a firearm at the time of the crime.

According to investigators, during the altercation, Pritchett unlawfully shot and killed the victim. The crimes occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Boshek II praised the agents who worked tirelessly to bring Pritchett to justice.

“Our agents worked countless hours in the pursuit of justice for the victim and his family. ATF is committed to combatting violent crime in our communities no matter how long it takes. There is no amount of time in federal prison that will bring the victim back. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family as we know Pritchett’s time in federal prison won’t ease their pain,” said Boshek II.

United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson commended the law enforcement efforts in compiling an extensive and thorough investigation, which allowed the government to prosecute Pritchett for his crimes. “I commend the work of law enforcement in compiling an extensive and thorough investigation which allowed the government to prosecute the defendant for unlawfully taking the victim’s life,” said Wilson.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Pritchett will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve his sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Jarrod Leaman and Patrick Flanigan represented the United States in the case.