Indian Brotherhood Gang Member Sentenced For Murder, Assault And Firearm Charges Resulting In Bodily Harm

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Matthew Onesimo Armstrong, age 33, of Seminole, Oklahoma, was sentenced for his role in two separate homicides. Armstrong was sentenced to life in prison for Murder and Kidnapping and 10 years imprisonment for Possession and Distribution of Methamphetamine, to run concurrently, in connection with the murder of Nicole Owl. Armstrong was also sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country and 10 years imprisonment for Use, Carry, and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, to run consecutively, in connection with the murder of Scotty Candler.

The charges arose from investigations by the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police Department, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

On October 20, 2021, Matthew Onesimo Armstrong, 33, of Seminole, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to Murder in Indian Country, Kidnapping, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine for the 2017 murder of Nicole Owl. According to court documents, in 2017, Armstrong was involved in the smuggling of methamphetamine and other contraband for the Indian Brotherhood into various prisons. Sometime during the weekend of April 14-16, 2017, Armstrong had a dispute with Nicole Owl who was staying with Armstrong at his residence. On April 16, Armstrong and another individual took Owl into a wooded area behind Armstrong’s residence and Armstrong tied Nicole Owl to a tree.  Armstrong and the other individual then left Nicole Owl tied to the tree for several hours into the evening. Armstrong, with a rifle, and the other individual then returned to the tree where Nicole Owl was tied.  Armstrong asked the other individual if he wanted to shoot Nicole Owl. The other individual said “No.” Armstrong then shot Nicole Owl twice, killing her.

On October 20, 2021, Armstrong also pleaded guilty to a two count Information charging him with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country and Use, Carry, and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, for his role in the 2015 murder of Scotty Candler. According to court documents, in May 2015, Armstrong received orders from the Indian Brotherhood to question Scotty Candler about an unrelated homicide. Armstrong and another individual went to Scotty Candler’s residence carrying firearms. Scotty Candler opened the door to his residence and his two dogs ran out. Armstrong fired two shots outside Scotty Candler’s home.  According to Armstrong, the other individual then went inside and shot Scotty Candler, killing him.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, along with the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, prosecuted these cases because the defendant is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crimes occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

“Today’s sentencing of Matthew Armstrong to life imprisonment ensures that a violent member of the Indian Brotherhood will be held accountable for his involvement in the deaths of two victims and that he will never step outside the confines of a federal penitentiary to victimize others in the Eastern District of Oklahoma or elsewhere,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.

“Matthew Armstrong is a callous and violent criminal who left permanent scars on his community and the families of his victims,“ said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge in Edward J. Gray. “Thanks to the partnership and hard work of all law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation, he will spend the rest of his life in prison.”

“OSBI Agents, Analysts, and Criminalists worked tirelessly with our partners at the FBI,U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Justice Department’s Criminal Division to ensure justice for Ms. Owl,” said OSBI Director Aungela Spurlock. “The investigation and prosecution of Armstrong is an example of law enforcement in Oklahoma, post the Supreme Court McGirt ruling, working together on behalf of victims of violent crime. We look forward to the success of these continued partnerships.”

The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearings. Armstrong will remain in custody pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve his non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Trial Attorneys Rami Badawy and Brian Morgan of the Criminal Division’s Human Right and Special Prosecution Section and Assistant United States Attorney Zack Parsons represented the United States.