McAlester man sentenced to prison | News

A McAlester man charged with possession of firearms he stole from a local retailer in 2022 was sentenced to serve time in a federal prison this week.

Carl Ray Holland, 35, was charged with illegal possession of a firearm in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

Holland was accused of being in possession of several firearms that were stolen from McAlester Tactical Supply in July 2022.

U.S. District Judge John F. Heil sentenced Holland to 92 months in federal prison on Thursday. The judge followed Holland's lawyers' recommendation that a 92-month prison sentence and participation in a drug treatment program would be “sufficient.”

According to a sentencing memo filed by Holland's lawyers, the man was never named as a suspect in the actual gun theft.

“This is a situation where Mr. Holland did not go looking for trouble – trouble found Mr. Holland,” the memorandum states. “Mr. Holland is addicted to drugs and was therefore at risk of getting into trouble if he got involved with the wrong people. Mr. Holland knows he needs to stop using drugs and believes that substance abuse treatment would help him.”

Holland pleaded guilty to the charges in November 2022.

“Enforcement of federal gun laws is a critical part of protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens and ensuring public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Mr. Holland's attempt to endanger public safety by possessing firearms he stole from a licensed dealer is a crime that deserves this punishment.”

According to the ATF, an unidentified suspect gained access to the rear of the store in the early morning hours of July 29, 2022 by destroying several floors of the building from the outside.

Surveillance video shows a man entering the store through a rear storage closet and “stealing an undetermined number of firearms” and exiting through the same storage closet before setting a fire from the same door.

According to an affidavit from ATF investigators, a tip received through the agency's hotline alleged that Holland was responsible for the break-in.

Holland's whereabouts were determined by his probation officer, who located him at an apartment in McAlester, the affidavit states.

The report states that Holland gave agents verbal consent to search the apartment, after which agents discovered “multiple firearms in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator” and requested a search warrant.

Holland agreed to speak with agents and “admitted that he knew about the break-in at McAlester Tactical Supply” and that the firearms found in his freezer were “forced upon” him the day after the break-in and that the firearms came from the break-in, the affidavit states.

“Holland said that other individuals were in possession of the remaining firearms and took them from the residence along with ammunition,” the report said.

According to the affidavit, a total of eight firearms were found in the freezer during a search of Holland's apartment.

A reward of up to $10,000 remains offered through the ATF and the National Shooting Sports Foundation for information leading to the identification and/or arrest of the suspect responsible for the theft and arson.

Anyone with information regarding this crime is asked to contact the ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS. Information can also be sent to [email protected] and through the ATF website at www.atf.gov/contact/atftips.

Holland will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal until he is transferred to a designated U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to serve his sentence without parole.