Two Okmulgee County residents are facing serious federal consequences in unrelated criminal cases announced Monday by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, highlighting the continued prosecution of crimes occurring within the boundaries of the Muscogee Nation Reservation.
In one case, a Morris man has been sentenced to federal prison after leaving the scene of an accident involving an injured bicyclist. In the second, a Henryetta man has entered a guilty plea to a felony arson charge that carries the potential for a lengthy prison term.
— Morris man sentenced to 18 months in hit-and-run case
Lee Calhoun Phillips, 46, of Morris, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for one count of leaving the scene of an accident involving nonfatal injury in Indian Country.
According to federal authorities, Phillips pleaded guilty to the charge on July 7, 2025, in U.S. District Court. The conviction stems from a September 28, 2023, incident in which Phillips, driving a Peterbilt truck, struck a bicyclist along Highway 16 south of Haskell.
Rather than stopping to render aid or check on the victim, investigators said Phillips fled the scene.
The injured bicyclist was later discovered by Oklahoma Department of Transportation workers who were performing roadside landscape maintenance. The workers contacted emergency services and remained with the victim until first responders arrived.
The case was investigated by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The offense occurred in Muskogee County within the Muscogee Nation Reservation, placing it under federal jurisdiction.
Phillips was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach, who was sitting by assignment. Following sentencing, Phillips was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and will be transferred to a Bureau of Prisons facility to serve his non-paroleable sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan W. Howanitz represented the government in the case.
— Henryettan pleads guilty to arson charge In a separate case, Ace Hailey Buckner, 37, of Henryetta, has pleaded guilty to one count of arson in Indian Country, a felony offense punishable by up to 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to court documents, Buckner admitted to willfully and maliciously setting fire to a motor vehicle on June 5, 2025.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in conjunction with the Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Police Department.
The offense occurred in Okmulgee County within the Muscogee Nation Reservation, again placing the matter under federal jurisdiction.
Buckner entered his guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gerald L. Jackson, who ordered the preparation of a pre-sentence investigation report.
A sentencing date has not yet been announced. A U.S. District Court judge will determine Buckner’s punishment after reviewing federal sentencing guidelines and statutory factors.
Buckner remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly is representing the United States in the case.
