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Tulsa Police Officer Pleads Guilty In Gun Straw Buyer Case

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A Tulsa Police officer indicted on federal gun charges in December has pleaded guilty to making a false statement.

Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma Clint Johnson’s office announced the pleading Thursday. They say 26-year-old Latoya Dythe acted as a straw buyer for 28-year-old Devon Jones, using his money to buy him a handgun from Bass Pro Shop and marking on a federal form it was for her.

A TPD gun crime unit investigation linked the gun to Dythe.

"Police officers, just like all citizens, that engage in criminal conduct must be held accountable for their actions. Latoya Dythe understood it was illegal to lie on federal firearms transaction forms to obtain a gun for another individual, and today she has accepted responsibility for the crime," Johnson said in a statement. "I appreciate the Tulsa Police Department for bringing this case to the attention of federal authorities and for working with the FBI and my office as this case proceeds in federal court."

Dythe is on bond until sentencing on July 15 and faces up to 10 years in prison. She has a young son.

Jones is in the Tulsa County jail awaiting trial on a state charge of shooting with intent to kill and federal charges similar to Dythe’s.

The case was prosecuted as part of the 2150 Initiative, a collaboration involving federal, state, local and tribal authorities to get guns out of the hands of people prohibited by law from having them, which includes going after straw buyers.

Matt Trotter joined KWGS as a reporter in 2013. Before coming to Public Radio Tulsa, he was the investigative producer at KJRH. His freelance work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and on MSNBC and CNN.
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