GORE, OKLAHOMA – Tristen Riley Cawhorn, 26, of Gore, Oklahoma, will spend the next 38 months in federal prison after admitting he helped cover up a violent kidnapping. Cawhorn was sentenced Friday by Chief Judge Ronald A. White of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
According to court documents, Cawhorn knowingly assisted Patrick Wayne McHenry in the September 2021 kidnapping of a victim in Muskogee County. Cawhorn allowed McHenry to confine the victim inside a shed located on Cawhorn’s property, actively participating in the crime by alerting McHenry whenever the captive attempted to escape. This wasn’t just standing by; Cawhorn was an active participant in maintaining the victim’s imprisonment.
The investigation, a joint effort by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Muskogee Police Department, revealed a disturbing pattern of criminal behavior. McHenry was already convicted on December 21, 2022, by a federal jury on charges of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping itself, carjacking, robbery within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, and carrying/using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. Cawhorn’s sentence acknowledges his role in enabling McHenry’s actions.
The crime unfolded within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, giving federal authorities jurisdiction. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Cornell successfully prosecuted Cawhorn, securing the 38-month non-parolable sentence. This means Cawhorn will serve the entirety of his sentence with no possibility of early release on parole.
Cawhorn is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals and will be transferred to a designated facility operated by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. This case highlights the ATF’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks and holding accountable those who aid and abet violent offenders, even if they aren’t directly wielding the weapon or initiating the crime. The investigation continues to probe any potential additional co-conspirators.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, led by U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson, continues to aggressively prosecute violent crimes impacting the region. The full release can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-edok. Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on any further developments.
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