Hartshorne Resident Sentenced For Unlawful Possession Of Firearms, Ammunition And Explosives

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kelly Von Morck, age 36, of Hartshorne, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for one count of Unlawful User of Controlled Substance in Possession of a Firearm, 46 months for one count of Unlawful User of Controlled Substance in Possession of Ammunition, and 46 months for one count of User of a Controlled Substance in Possession of Explosives. The Court ordered the terms to be served concurrently.

The charges arose from an investigation by the Hartshorne Police Department, the Pittsburg County Sheriff's Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

On August 19, 2025, Morck pleaded guilty to the charges in federal district court. According to investigators, on October 20, 2024, Hartshorne Police officers, Pittsburg County deputies, ATF task force officers and special agents, and the OHP bomb squad responded to an explosion in a Hartshorne neighborhood originating from Morck's residence.

Upon arriving on the scene, law enforcement discovered property damage indicating a large explosion and Morck suffering from third degree burns. Morck was life-flighted to a Tulsa hospital for care, where he tested positive for amphetamines, cocaine, cannabinoids, and fentanyl. A lab for making homemade explosives was discovered within the residence, and outbuildings on the property were found to contain bulk quantities of ingredients and precursors for manufacturing explosives, as well as improvised explosive devices, destructive devices, multiple firearms, and ammunition. Investigators securing the crime scene also recovered quantities of methamphetamine, marijuana, LSD, MDMA, steroids, and psychedelic mushrooms.

In June of 2025, ATF returned to Morck's residence with search warrants and discovered Morck, an unlawful user addicted to a controlled substance, in possession of narcotics, a firearm, ammunition, and additional suspected explosives and destructive devices.

"The defendant posed a significant and uniquely dangerous threat to himself and his community," said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. "I applaud law enforcement, especially ATF, for their actions to prevent other potential injuries and hold the defendant accountable for his crimes."

ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Brian Garner had this to say about Morck's sentencing: "Homemade explosives present an inherent and significant threat to public safety. The serious injuries sustained by Mr. Morck underscore the extreme dangers associated with manufacturing and handling these devices. Despite those injuries, he continued his efforts to manufacture homemade explosive materials and destructive devices, further increasing the risk to himself and the community.

The coordinated response of our task force officers, special agents, and certified explosives specialists was critical in safely processing and mitigating multiple hazardous scenes, preventing additional harm and protecting the public from further danger.

Today's sentence reflects the seriousness of these offenses and reinforces our commitment to protecting the community. It demonstrates that individuals who endanger public safety through the unlawful manufacture of destructive devices and homemade explosives will be held accountable and that justice will be served."

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 John F. Heil, III, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Morck 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 Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.