Jackson, MS – A Lena man pleaded guilty on March 31, 2026, to the charge of assault with a dangerous weapon and use of a firearm during a crime of violence on the Choctaw Indian Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger of 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, Jarvis Ficklin, 37, of Lena, used a shotgun to shoot a tribal member on the Choctaw Indian Reservation which resulted in serious bodily injury to the victim.In March of 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Ficklin on the assault and firearms charges. Ficklin pleaded guilty to the charges and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2026. Ficklin faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the assault charge and not less than 10 years on the firearms charge. The sentence for the firearms charge will be served consecutively to the sentence for the assault charge. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger 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 case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Payne, Brian K. Burns, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kalleigh McCoy.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice