FOR RELEASE:   December 13, 2007
SUBJECT:           POOLE, John Charles

Federal Prisoner Charged in Murder for Hire Scheme

Northern District of Oklahoma United States Attorney David E. O'Meilia and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Oklahoma City Division Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward announced today that a Tulsa man has been charged in a witness retaliation and murder for hire scheme.

A Complaint was filed in federal court in Tulsa today charging Freeman David Chenoweth Jr., age 50, with four counts of Solicitation of Murder. Chenoweth is accused of attempting to hire a "hit man" to murder the son and the wife of the victim of an extortion crime for which Chenoweth was recently convicted and sentenced. Additionally, Chenoweth is now charged with soliciting the murder of the FBI agent that investigated the prior case.

Chenoweth was just sentenced last week, on December 6, 2007, to seven years in federal prison for attempting to extort millions of dollars in July 2007 from Gary Gilliam, an area businessman and part owner of J&G Steel of Sapulpa, by making physical threats against Gilliam's family. The case was investigated by the FBI. The offenses charged in the Complaint allegedly occurred while Chenoweth was being held in an area holding facility for federal prisoners.

U.S. Attorney O'Meilia stated, "A priority interest in any criminal case is to protect the victims of crime, witnesses and the law enforcement officers that conduct the investigations. As prosecutors, we take any kind or any level of threat very seriously."

Michael Ward, FBI Special Agent in Charge, added, " The FBI takes very seriously threats against witnesses and law enforcement personnel. This is especially true when one of our own is the subject of such threats, and we will devote any resources necessary to ensure the safety of our employees, as well as those who assist in our investigations."

A Complaint is one method of charging a defendant with alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome the defendant's presumption of innocence.