A LeFlore County man prosecutors say led a large-scale drug trafficking organization from behind prison walls was sentenced to life in federal prison Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced was convicted of drug conspiracy after authorities discovered he directed the distribution of more than 25 kilograms of methamphetamine and 465 grams of fentanyl between August 2022 and November 2023 while serving time in the Oklahoma State Penitentiary Taylor’s sentencing concludes a months-long investigation and prosecution that led to convictions of 12 additional co-conspirators on related drug charges Seven individuals were sentenced for drug conspiracy with penalties ranging from two to ten years in prison: five others received sentences for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances: Investigators say the organization operated from multiple stash houses across eastern Oklahoma proceeds from the operation and trafficking-related assets The investigation was a joint effort led by the Drug Enforcement Agency in collaboration with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics IRS Criminal Investigation and other federal “There should never be any doubt that there are countless victims of drug trafficking and the violence associated with it,” said DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A “Taylor and his associates took advantage of individuals and showed no concern for those who stood in their path of destruction Sentences of this nature are a win for our victims and a warning to drug traffickers.” Christian Hans is a Digital Content Producer for News 9 He joined News 9 full-time in July of 2022 after graduating from the University of Oklahoma and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox An official website of the United States government Open Search  Mobile Menu – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold a two-day wild horse and burro event in Poteau at the Phil Gardenhire Memorial Rodeo Arena in Poteau Inquire with BLM staff onsite for more information Animals offered at the event are adult and yearling horses along with burros that once roamed free on public lands in the west BLM periodically removes excess animals from the range to maintain healthy herds and to protect other rangeland resources The adoption and sale program is essential for achieving these important management goals BLM has placed more than 280,000 of these animals in approved homes across the country BLM staff will approve applications onsite Qualified homes must have a minimum of four hundred square feet of corral space per animal A six-foot corral fence is required for adult horses; five feet for yearlings; and four-and-a-half feet for burros stock-type trailers with swing gates and sturdy walls and floors BLM staff will be on hand to assist with the application process The Phil Gardenhire Memorial Rodeo Arena is located south of Poteau on Highway 271, approximately 1.5 miles south of intersection of Highway 59 and Highway 271. For more information, call 866-468-7826 or visit www.blm.gov. The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations An official website of the Department of the Interior -- A longtime area high school football coach and Fort Smith native is the subject of an administrative complaint in which "sexual deals with player moms" were reported according to the Oklahoma State Department of Education Penny Weaver is an award-winning journalist who covers crime court proceedings and more for the River Valley Democrat-Gazette She has more than 30 years of experience as a reporter Penny has reported on everything from national civil rights issues to hog farming in Illinois She digs until she uncovers all the facts for every story This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC Material from the Associated Press is Copyright © 2025 audio and/or video material shall not be published rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use The AP will not be held liable for any delays errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing High school baseball season is underway in Green Country and while early-season games don’t always make headlines the matchup between Stigler and Poteau is one for the record books jumping to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning Stigler responded in unprecedented fashion exploding for 33 runs in the bottom of the inning the college baseball record for most runs in a single inning is 23 Scoring at this level is nearly unheard of and this game is sure to be talked about for years to come Brooke Cox is a Digital Producer at News On 6 where she has been part of the team since August 2024 Amid allegations of making "sexual deals with player moms," the Oklahoma State Board of Education voted Thursday to begin the process of revoking the teaching certificate of former Poteau High School football coach Greg Werner and referred the matter to a hearing officer the Oklahoma State Department of Education filed a subpoena with the Poteau Independent School District disciplinary and communication records on Werner The district had voted to accept Werner's resignation in the month prior a member of the Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall of Fame More: Shawnee superintendent's teaching license suspended by Oklahoma State Board of Education The subpoena included a request for records related to an Oklahoma State Department of Education case that details a report from someone claiming to be close to a mother of one of the Poteau football team's players The person alleged they read messages on GroupMe from Werner to the player's mother detailing sexual activities he wanted to do with the mother Werner also reportedly bragged about how many other players' mothers he'd been with and made "sexual deals with player(s) moms" in exchange for playing time for their sons The report also alleged that students have caught Werner having sex with a teacher or player's mom in the media room Werner did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication POTEAU — It was a rough night for the Sallisaw High School soccer teams as they lost both road district matches to the host Poteau Pirates and Lady Pirates on Thursday night at Costner Stadium The Black Diamonds lost 3-2 in the most heartbreaking of ways as the Pirates (5-6 overall 3-1 in District 4A-4 play) broke a 2-all tie with a goal with about 30 seconds left in regulation 3-1) got their two goals from Wes Rodriguez one on a penalty kick and the other from an assist from Rustyn Romero “It was a tough loss for us,” Sallisaw coach Sinue Rodriguez said an altercation broke out between the two teams “It’s not what anybody desired,” Rodriguez said “We didn’t want it for our kids and our fans The Black Diamonds still are in control of their own destiny If they won Tuesday night’s home regular-season finale against Hilldale or the road match against Wagoner at 7 p.m we still have a chance to be district champs,” Rodriguez said That would still give us a home playoff game 1-3) came off the foot of Laynie Gerred from an assist from Kyra Taylor The loss eliminated the Lady Diamonds from postseason consideration so we’re just going to battle to the end and make the most out of it.” This week will conclude the season for the Lady Diamonds After they played their home regular-season finale against Hilldale on Tuesday night at Perry F they will play their final regular season match at 5 p.m © 2023 Sequoyah County Times