🚨 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 – 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗱𝘆 🚨

On Friday, March 13, 2026, at approximately 3:34 PM, Osage County Deputies responded to a report of a copper theft in progress near N. State Highway 97 in Sand Springs (Osage County).

Upon arrival, deputies located cut wire along the highway and discovered tools—including a DeWalt utility saw and hacksaw—next to damaged AT&T telecommunications wire. The suspects had fled into nearby woods.

Deputies searched the area and located one suspect, Davey Cornelius, who was identified by the witness as one of the individuals involved. He was arrested and transported to the Osage County Jail.

AT&T representatives estimate approximately 400 feet of telecommunications wire was damaged, with repair costs estimated at around $3,000.

Copper theft is a costly crime that disrupts critical infrastructure and can affect service to the community.

⚠️ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁—𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀—𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱.

If you have information about this case or the identity of the second suspect, please contact the 𝗢𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗳’𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝟵𝟭𝟴-𝟮𝟴𝟳-𝟯𝟭𝟯𝟭. … See MoreSee Less

🎉 Congratulations to Investigator Sam Cornett! 🎉

The Osage County Sheriff’s Office is proud to recognize Investigator Sam Cornett for being named Grand Mental Health’s Officer of the Year.

This award highlights Investigator Cornett’s outstanding commitment to serving our community with compassion, professionalism, and dedication—especially when working with individuals experiencing mental health crises. Her ability to approach difficult situations with patience, understanding, and care makes a meaningful difference in the lives of those she serves.

Investigator Cornett consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure the safety and well-being of our community. Her efforts strengthen the partnership between law enforcement and mental health professionals and reflect the very best of the Osage County Sheriff’s Office.

Please join us in congratulating Investigator Cornett on this well-deserved recognition! 👏

#OsageCounty #CommunityFirst #MentalHealthAwareness #LawEnforcementExcellence … See MoreSee Less

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘄𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗳 𝗥.𝗕. “𝗗𝗶𝗰𝗸” 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿

In the rolling prairies of Osage County—where outlaws once ruled the roads and oil money fueled both prosperity and peril—a quiet yet formidable figure rose through the ranks of Oklahoma law enforcement. R.B. “Dick” Conner, born in the closing years of the 19th century, would become a steady hand during some of the state’s most turbulent decades, leaving behind a legacy that still carries his name today.

𝗢𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗳: 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲

Conner’s law-enforcement career took firm shape in 1932 when he was elected Sheriff of Osage County. The county was still navigating the long shadow of the Osage Reign of Terror, the oil-boom excesses of the 1920s, and the political aftershocks that followed. Wearing the badge in Osage County during this era required more than authority it demanded restraint, judgment, and resilience.

Sheriff Conner became known for exactly that. He was not a headline-seeker or a flamboyant lawman. Instead, he projected calm resolve, earning trust across a county that had seen too much corruption and violence in the years before. His leadership emphasized consistency and fairness—traits that would soon be tested at the ballot box.

𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿–𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝟭𝟵𝟯𝟰

By 1934, Conner found himself at the center of one of the most closely watched sheriff’s races in Osage County history. Local newspapers ran bold headlines—“Hot Campaign to Close on Day Before Election” and “Hard Races in the County”—as the contest eclipsed nearly every other local race in intensity.

Conner, the incumbent, first faced a crowded Democratic primary on July 3, 1934. He dominated the field, carrying nearly 90 percent of the county precincts. His nearest challenger was Ben Johnson Sr. of Foraker—a well-known local figure with deep roots in the northern and western parts of the county and a world-champion cowboy.

The July 24 runoff proved Johnson was no token opponent. He mounted a disciplined, hard-charging campaign, trimming Conner’s margin by roughly 800 votes from the primary. Newspapers described the contest as one of the hardest-fought sheriff’s races in recent memory, underscoring the genuine uncertainty surrounding the outcome.

After surviving the runoff, Conner advanced to face Republican nominee Bill Logan of Burbank, a respected ranchman who traditionally ran strong across western Osage County—from Fairfax through the Big Bend country. Observers expected Logan to dominate the west while Conner held an advantage in the east. Confidence ran high on both sides, and the sheriff’s race drew more attention than any other contest on the November 6 ballot.

When the votes were finally counted, Conner prevailed—what the press accurately described as his third hard race of the campaign. The victory cemented his standing as a sheriff who could withstand not only criminal pressures, but political ones as well.

𝗔𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟵𝟯𝟴 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

In the spring of 1938, Conner again found himself on the campaign trail—again facing a world-champion cowboy. The filing period produced several challengers, including Republican Frank Thomas and Democratic opponents Milton Hurd of Wynona and Barton Carter of Pawhuska, a well-known local deputy and champion steer roper.

The Democratic primary underscored Conner’s continued popularity. He led decisively with 5,611 votes, while Carter received 3,773 and Hurd trailed with 515. The November 8 general election proved even more decisive: Conner defeated Thomas in a landslide, 6,173 to 1,841. The results left little doubt that Osage County still trusted his steady leadership.

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬: 𝐎𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐲

In August 1943, amid the pressures of World War II, Governor Robert S. Kerr appointed Conner as Warden of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. Known statewide as “Big Mac,” the prison housed Oklahoma’s most dangerous offenders and carried a long history of unrest and controversy.

Warden Conner brought the same balance to McAlester that had defined his years as sheriff. His four-year tenure was marked by discipline without cruelty and authority without excess—walking the narrow line between security and reform that characterized mid-20th-century corrections.

𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲: 𝗧𝘂𝗹𝘀𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝘆

Even after stepping down as warden, Conner did not retire from public life. He joined the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy, continuing to serve quietly and professionally. In an era when many would have stepped away, Conner remained committed proof that service, for him, was a calling rather than a title.

𝗔 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗖𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲

R.B. “Dick” Conner passed away in 1955 at the age of 63, closing a law-enforcement career that spanned nearly three decades. He left behind no scandals and no grandstanding—only a reputation for integrity and steady leadership.

That reputation was formally recognized in 1979 with the opening of the Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy, Oklahoma. Located not far from the communities he once served, the facility stands as a permanent reminder of his commitment to law, order, and institutional reform.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘄𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱

Unlike the larger-than-life figures who dominate much of Oklahoma’s criminal-justice lore, Dick Conner’s strength lay in constancy. He endured hard elections, fierce opponents, and some of the most demanding posts in the state—without losing public trust or professional footing.

From the sheriff’s office in Pawhuska to the prison walls of McAlester, his career touched nearly every corner of Oklahoma justice. And though he passed quietly, his name remains engraved in stone and spoken with respect—a reminder that true public service is often defined not by spectacle, but by steadiness. … See MoreSee Less

𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗜𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘
𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟯, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗢𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗼 𝗛𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗹 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲

Osage County, OK— Two defendants have entered guilty pleas in Osage County District Court in connection with the April 12, 2025, shooting at the Osage Casino Hotel in Tulsa.

The shooting occurred during the early morning hours of April 12, 2025, when the Osage Nation Police Department and the Osage County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of gunfire at the Osage Casino Hotel, located at 951 W. 36th Street North in Tulsa. The case was investigated jointly by both agencies.

Malik Nakai Sampson waived his right to a jury trial and entered a guilty plea. The court found Sampson guilty on Counts 1 and 2 and sentenced him to 20 years in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, with the sentences ordered to run concurrently and with credit for time served. Sampson was also ordered to pay court costs, incarceration costs, a $250 Victims Compensation Assessment (VCA), and a $500 fine on each count.

Marquaveon Da’Shawn Goff also waived his right to a jury trial and entered a guilty plea. As part of the plea agreement, Count 1 was amended to Assault and Battery with a Deadly Weapon. Goff was sentenced to 20 years in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, with the sentence to run concurrently, and was ordered to pay court costs, incarceration costs, a $250 VCA, and a $500 fine.

Both defendants were convicted of 85% crimes, meaning they must serve at least 85% of their sentences before becoming eligible for parole.

Sampson and Goff were arrested within days of the shooting because of a comprehensive joint investigation by the Osage County Sheriff’s Office and the Osage Nation Police Department.

“This case reflects the strong cooperation between the Osage County Sheriff’s Office and the Osage Nation Police Department in working together to hold those responsible for violent crimes accountable.”

The Osage County Sheriff’s Office also recognizes First Assistant District Attorney Brett Mize and the Osage County District Attorney’s Office for their work in successfully prosecuting this case.

This is now a conviction.

-Sheriff Bart Perrier … See MoreSee Less