A Lena man, Jarvis Ficklin, pleaded guilty on March 31 to assault with a dangerous weapon and use of a firearm during a crime of violence on the Choctaw Indian Reservation. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the Jackson Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, Ficklin, age 37, used a shotgun to shoot a tribal member on the reservation, causing serious bodily injury. The incident led to Ficklin being indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2022 for both assault and firearms offenses.
Ficklin has entered guilty pleas for both charges and is scheduled for sentencing on July 29. He faces up to ten years in prison for the assault charge and not less than ten years for the firearms charge; these sentences will be served consecutively. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after considering relevant guidelines and statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger said he commended “the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Choctaw Police Department of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, who investigated the case.” The prosecution team included Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Payne, Brian K. Burns, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kalleigh McCoy.
The outcome highlights ongoing law enforcement efforts regarding violent crimes occurring within tribal lands.
