McCurtain County resident sentenced for illegally possessing firearms and ammunition (DOJ)

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that William Claborn Clark, a/k/a William Claborn Clark, Jr., a/k/a William Elaborn Clark, Jr., age 46, of Valliant, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the McCurtain County Sheriff's Office, and the Choctaw County Sheriff's Office.

On November 10, 2025, Clark pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on May 10, 2025, law enforcement discovered Clark in possession of one .45ACP caliber semi-automatic pistol, one .30-06 caliber bolt-action rifle, one break-open rifle, and 23 rounds of ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Clark will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Staubus represented the United States.

Updated September 11, 2026