OKC Man To Serve 36 Months for Firearm Possession

 

OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, BARRY ROWLAND TITUS, II, 39, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 36 months in federal prison for being a prohibited person unlawfully in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

On October 1, 2020, Titus pled guilty to one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm while being an unlawful user of a controlled substance.  Specifically, Titus admitted that, on or about November 25, 2015, he possessed a firearm in violation of federal law because he was an unlawful user of a controlled substance at the time of possession.

Today, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Titus to serve 36 months in federal prison, followed by three years supervised release.  In announcing the sentence, Judge Palk noted the nature and circumstances of the offense, as well as the history and characteristics of Titus.  Judge Palk specifically highlighted the danger that is present when the possession of firearms is combined with the use of illegal substances.

This case is a result of an investigation by partnering law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, and Oklahoma City Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew P. Anderson, Jacquelyn M. Hutzell, and Danielle M. Connolly prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods and Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiatives to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.  The case is also part of “Operation 922,” the district’s local implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods and Project Guardian.  “Operation 922” prioritizes firearms prosecutions connected to domestic violence, including domestic violence abusers who possess a firearm and are subject to a victim protective order or have been previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.