Two Ponca City Men Indicted for Armed Robbery of Yale Drug Store to Steal Opioids

OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging TANNER BLAKE JENSEN, 28, and RODNEY TYRONE FAHS, 26, both of Ponca City, in connection with an armed robbery of the Yale Drug Store, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.  According to court records, on December 26, 2018, Jensen entered the Yale Drug Store in Yale, Oklahoma, where he brandished a firearm in the presence of a customer and two employees during a robbery.  Both defendants are alleged to have been involved in stealing opioids, which are controlled substances, from the drug store.

The indictment alleges in Count 1 that the defendants unlawfully interfered with commerce by robbery under the Hobbs Act.  In Count 2, Jensen is charged with brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.  If found guilty on Count 1, each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.  If found guilty on Count 2, Jensen faces not less than seven years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to five years of supervised release. 

This specific case is a result of an investigation by the Yale Police Department, FBI Oklahoma City Division, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Payne County Sheriff’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Petermann.

This case is part of an overall coordinated effort by the Western Oklahoma Opioid Enforcement Team, a collective effort of federal and state law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to use all legal tools—criminal, civil, and administrative—to maximize effectiveness in protecting Oklahomans from the illegal diversion, distribution, and use of opioids.  Team members include the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, FBI, DEA, HHS Office of Inspector General, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, IRS—Criminal Investigations, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Oklahoma County District Attorney, and the District Attorney for Cleveland, Garvin, and McClain Counties.

The public is reminded that these charges are merely allegations and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  Reference is made to public filings for more information.