Tulsa, OK: Two guys in Tulsa, Oklahoma have received substantial prison sentences following a troubling occurrence in the Ottawa County Jail. Justin Gering, aged 30, and Tyler Tavis, aged 23, have both received a 60-month jail sentence in a federal facility, to be followed by one year of supervised release.
Their convictions were for the deliberate act of setting fire to property owned by an institution and organization that receives financial support from the federal government.
The incident took place in December 2022, when Gering and Tavis, who were incarcerated at the time, were seen on surveillance video committing a disturbing conduct against another inmate. The perpetrators enveloped the unconscious individual in tissue paper and ignited it.
The victim was protected by a fire-retardant blanket provided by the county, which greatly reduced the possible severity of injuries. The sufferer was spared from severe burns and a larger fire outbreak was averted due to the prompt intervention of fellow detainees who extinguished the flames.
The sentencing was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma on Tuesday, April 30th. An indictment was first issued by a federal grand jury in February 2023. Gering and Tavis will be held in detention until they are moved to a facility overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to commence their sentences. This instance exemplifies the grave repercussions of jeopardizing the security and well-being of others, even within a custodial setting.