ATF - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

06/03/2026 | Press release | Archived content

Lawton Man in Illegal Possession of 11 Firearms while Subject to a Protective Order is Sentenced to Serve 57 Months in Federal Prison (DOJ)

OKLAHOMA CITY - JUSTIN DAVID GILLILAND, 46, of Lawton, has been sentenced to serve 57 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of firearms while subject to a protective order, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

According to public records, on October 18, 2024, deputies with the Grady County Sheriff's Office responded to a residence following a disturbance call. The victim reported that she had received multiple unwanted phone calls from Gilliland throughout the day. Fearing for her safety, she and her children left the residence. When they later returned home, they found Gilliland's vehicle parked in the driveway.

Responding deputies eventually arrested Gilliland at the residence after officers recovered a firearm, a loaded magazine, and a bottle of liquor from his vehicle. At the time, Gilliland was subject to a protective order that prohibited him from possessing firearms under federal law. Law enforcement later executed a search warrant at Gilliland's residence and recovered ten additional firearms that Gilliland had falsely denied possessing.

On July 16, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted Gilliland for being a prohibited person in possession of firearms. On November 4, 2025, Gilliland pleaded guilty and admitted that he knowingly possessed firearms while subject to a protective order.

At a sentencing hearing yesterday, U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick sentenced Gilliland to serve 57 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Wyrick noted the seriousness of the offense, the need to protect the public, and to promote respect for the law as reasons for the sentence imposed.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Grady County Sheriff's Office, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary E. Walters and Daniel Gridley prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (OTBA), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. This case is also part of "Operation 922," the Western District of Oklahoma's implementation of OTBA, which prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence.

Reference is made to public filings for additional information.

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