A Cherokee man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for second-degree murder on tribal land, as declared by U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. The man, Brandon Tyler Buchanan, 33, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, was convicted in the fatal shooting of Kobe Toineeta. In addition to his prison term, Buchanan is ordered to serve five years of supervised release and to pay $888,500 in restitution to the victim’s estate, as announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of North Carolina.
The investigation, which spanned over two years, began on November 11, 2022, after officers from the Cherokee Indian Police Department (CIPD) received a 911 call reporting a shooting. Upon arrival, Buchanan openly admitted to having shot Toineeta, whose body was found hidden behind a row of trees, having sustained five gunshot wounds. Court records and proceedings revealed that a Smith & Wesson M&P .9mm handgun, later discovered in Buchanan’s apartment, was the weapon used in the murder. The forensic testing went on to conclusively identify it as the firearm in the shooting.
Before issuing the 30-year sentence, Buchanan had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on May 31, 2024, and had since then remained in federal custody. A transfer to the Federal Bureau of Prisons is imminent, pending designation to a federal facility. Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Carla Neadeau of the CIPD joined U.S. Attorney Ferguson in the announcement of the sentencing, according to a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
