Kelly Justin Van Lewis, a 35-year-old resident of Coweta, Oklahoma, was sentenced on April 10 to 26 months in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country and for possessing ammunition while subject to a protective order. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma said both sentences will be served concurrently.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address gun-related violence and violations of protective orders. The charges stemmed from an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Coweta Police Department.
According to investigators, Van Lewis threatened a victim with a firearm on April 30, 2024. He pointed the weapon at the victim and racked its slide three times after it malfunctioned. Law enforcement arrested him that same day. A protective order was then issued against Van Lewis prohibiting him from possessing firearms or ammunition. In June 2025, ATF agents searched his residence and found he had illegally retained 980 rounds of ammunition.
The offenses occurred in Wagoner County within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation in eastern Oklahoma. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud to join forces with the ATF and with all local, state, Tribal, and federal agencies to investigate and prosecute perpetrators who wrongfully use firearms to jeopardize the peace and safety of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.
“This conviction and federal sentence make clear that those who use firearms to threaten and terrorize intimate partners will be held fully accountable under the law,” said ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Brian Garner. “ATF plays a critical role in enforcing the firearm prohibitions established under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), working alongside federal, state, and Tribal partners to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. This work is essential not only to protecting victims and preventing further violence, but also to upholding our trust responsibilities to our tribal partners by ensuring safer communities and respect for the rule of law.”
Senior Judge Ronald A. White presided over sentencing at United States District Court for Eastern Oklahoma. Van Lewis remains in custody awaiting transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility where he will serve his non-paroleable sentence.
