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November 29, 2012

Boynton firearms located

Sheriff’s Office has them; no theft involved

By Dylan Goforth Phoenix Staff Writer

— A Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office investigator said the sheriff’s office is in possession of guns Boynton’s town council reported missing.

Boynton Mayor James Holt said during a special meeting Tuesday he had paperwork showing Boynton’s police department had three guns — two shotguns and a .45-caliber handgun — that could not be located.

Discussion of the guns was tabled Tuesday, as the council requested the sheriff’s office locate the weapons.

Investigator Bert Poole said the guns were in the possession of the sheriff’s office Wednesday afternoon.

“We’ve got the guns,” he said. “They weren’t stolen, they had been traded. They did some swapping.

“It probably wasn’t the best way to do things, but nothing malicious was done.”

Poole said the guns were purchased before George Ezell, who stepped down Tuesday, was named the police chief in July 2011.

The missing items were reported to the sheriff’s office as being embezzled, Poole said.

“(Holt) comes in and gets to see where the stuff is and can’t find the guns, and wants to know where they are,” Poole said. “That’s all. They weren’t stolen.”

Poole said no one was being charged, a fear Ezell shared at Tuesday’s special meeting.

“We can’t find anybody that did anything wrong here,” Poole said. “We’re going to hang onto the guns for a little bit while this is all sorted out.”

Ezell resigned as Boynton’s police chief because he had accepted a job at the Muskogee County/City Detention Facility. Boynton’s council hesitated before accepting Ezell’s resignation, but met in executive session before accepting it unanimously. Ezell expressed fear Tuesday his job status could be in limbo, but his wife, Missy Ezell, said Wednesday it appeared everything had been worked out.  

Reach Dylan Goforth at (918) 684-2903 or dgoforth@muskogeephoenix.com.

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