A federal judge sentenced Norman resident Austin Garrett Reeves, 29, to 20 years in prison Aug. 27 for setting fire to a McClain County deputy's home.

U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick imposed the 240-month sentence in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. Reeves will also serve five years of supervised release after his prison term.

Reeves pleaded guilty Feb. 24 to arson in Indian Country and being a felon in possession of firearms. Wyrick described Reeves's actions as deeply troubling and said the sentence was necessary to protect the public from future crimes, the Norman Transcript reported.

The arson

The fire followed an earlier confrontation. On Aug. 22, 2025, the McClain County Sheriff's Office and the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police Department responded to a reported burglary at the deputy's home in Washington, Oklahoma. The deputy reported a handgun stolen from a family vehicle, according to KOCO 5.

Officers found a vehicle belonging to Reeves parked near the home. They arrested him and booked him into the Grady County Jail. He was released the same day.

Hours later, in the early morning of Aug. 23, 2025, law enforcement responded to a fire at the same home. Surveillance video showed Reeves using a large gas can to douse the deputy's personal vehicles and patrol unit in gasoline, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. He ignited the patrol unit and another vehicle. The flames spread to the house.

Reeves was burned before fleeing. No one inside the home was injured.

Federal jurisdiction

The case went to federal court because Reeves is a member of the Cherokee Nation and the crime occurred within the Chickasaw Nation's boundaries, placing it in Indian Country under federal law.

Federal charges were filed Feb. 3, 2026. The arson charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Wyrick imposed 20 years.

U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester said in a statement that Reeves deliberately and repeatedly targeted law enforcement, escalating to the point of setting fire to a deputy's vehicles and home while the deputy's family was inside, putting innocent lives in grave danger.

Prior record

Reeves has a previous conviction in Cleveland County for physical control of a vehicle while under the influence and driving under the influence. That prior felony supported the firearms possession charge.

He will serve his sentence in federal custody followed by five years of supervised release.