A speeding driver who tried to outrun an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper in Muskogee County ended up with a federal prison sentence of 982 months — more than 80 years — after the traffic stop turned up guns, drugs and cash. Jason Cole was pulled into custody following the December 3, 2023 stop, and he was later convicted on 10 counts tied to armed drug trafficking and maintaining a drug-involved premises.
KOKH reported that Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Ethan Mulkey tried to stop Cole for speeding. Cole fled, and Mulkey pursued him onto a dirt road, where Cole was taken into custody.
Investigators’ Interest in the Vehicle
According to KOKH FOX 25, Mulkey recognized during the pursuit near the Muskogee/Okmulgee county line that the vehicle was of interest in multiple burglaries and thefts. The station reported that troopers found firearms and drugs in the vehicle.
KOKH FOX 25 reported that Mulkey obtained a search warrant for an outbuilding connected to the case.
Evidence Beyond the Traffic Stop
The outbuilding search turned up illegal contraband and money, according to KOKH FOX 25. The station reported that evidence from the vehicle and outbuilding figured in the federal case.
Cole was ultimately sentenced in federal district court to 982 months, or more than 80 years in prison, on 10 counts related to armed drug trafficking and maintaining a drug-involved premises, according to KOKH FOX 25.
Federal Firearms Cases in Context
National figures provide context but do not establish which statutes Cole was convicted under. The U.S. Sentencing Commission reported that 2,384 of 66,662 cases reported in fiscal year 2025 involved convictions under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), which covers certain firearm offenses connected to crimes including drug trafficking. Among people convicted under that section who were also convicted of another offense, 56% were convicted of drug trafficking.
Those figures describe how often such convictions appeared in the Commission’s caseload; they do not quantify how a firearms conviction affects sentence length in an individual case or show that Cole was convicted under § 924(c).
OHP’s Account of the Case
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said the case shows that every traffic stop matters, according to the station's account. Per a report from KOKH FOX 25, the agency also said trooper vigilance and attention to detail can help keep dangerous drugs and illegal firearms out of communities — a message it tied directly to how the stop escalated from a speeding violation into a major trafficking case.
