Latest news with #OklahomaDepartmentofCorrections
Business Wire
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
The GEO Group Announces It Has Entered Into a Purchase Agreement to Sell Company-Owned Lawton Correctional Facility in Oklahoma for $312 Million
BUSINESS WIRE)-- The GEO Group, Inc. (NYSE: GEO) ('GEO' or the 'Company') announced today that it has entered into a purchase agreement with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections for the sale of the GEO-owned Lawton Correctional Facility (the 'Facility') located in Lawton, Oklahoma for $312 million. The sale of the Facility is expected to close on July 25, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, and GEO expects to transition Facility operations to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections simultaneously on July 25, 2025. GEO expects to use the net proceeds from the sale of the Facility to pay down debt and for general corporate purposes. George C. Zoley, Executive Chairman of GEO, said, 'The sale of our Company-owned Lawton Correctional Facility is expected to be a significant deleveraging event for our Company. We believe that this important transaction is representative of the intrinsic value of our Company-owned facilities, which total more than 52,000 beds. Our Management Team and Board of Directors remain focused on the disciplined allocation of capital to enhance long-term value for our shareholders.' About The GEO Group The GEO Group, Inc. (NYSE: GEO) is a leading diversified government service provider, specializing in design, financing, development, and support services for secure facilities, processing centers, and community reentry centers in the United States, Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. GEO's diversified services include enhanced in-custody rehabilitation and post-release support through the award-winning GEO Continuum of Care®, secure transportation, electronic monitoring, community-based programs, and correctional health and mental health care. GEO's worldwide operations include the ownership and/or delivery of support services for 98 facilities totaling approximately 77,000 beds, including idle facilities and projects under development, with a workforce of up to approximately 18,000 employees. Use of forward-looking statements This news release may contain 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and any such forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the cautionary statements and risk factors contained in GEO's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission including its Form 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K reports. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release and are based on current expectations and involve a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Readers are strongly encouraged to read the full cautionary statements and risk factors contained in GEO's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including those referenced above. GEO disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The GEO Group Announces It Has Entered Into a Purchase Agreement to Sell Company-Owned Lawton Correctional Facility in Oklahoma for $312 Million
BOCA RATON, Fla., June 05, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The GEO Group, Inc. (NYSE: GEO) ("GEO" or the "Company") announced today that it has entered into a purchase agreement with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections for the sale of the GEO-owned Lawton Correctional Facility (the "Facility") located in Lawton, Oklahoma for $312 million. The sale of the Facility is expected to close on July 25, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, and GEO expects to transition Facility operations to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections simultaneously on July 25, 2025. GEO expects to use the net proceeds from the sale of the Facility to pay down debt and for general corporate purposes. George C. Zoley, Executive Chairman of GEO, said, "The sale of our Company-owned Lawton Correctional Facility is expected to be a significant deleveraging event for our Company. We believe that this important transaction is representative of the intrinsic value of our Company-owned facilities, which total more than 52,000 beds. Our Management Team and Board of Directors remain focused on the disciplined allocation of capital to enhance long-term value for our shareholders." About The GEO GroupThe GEO Group, Inc. (NYSE: GEO) is a leading diversified government service provider, specializing in design, financing, development, and support services for secure facilities, processing centers, and community reentry centers in the United States, Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. GEO's diversified services include enhanced in-custody rehabilitation and post-release support through the award-winning GEO Continuum of Care®, secure transportation, electronic monitoring, community-based programs, and correctional health and mental health care. GEO's worldwide operations include the ownership and/or delivery of support services for 98 facilities totaling approximately 77,000 beds, including idle facilities and projects under development, with a workforce of up to approximately 18,000 employees. Use of forward-looking statementsThis news release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and any such forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the cautionary statements and risk factors contained in GEO's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission including its Form 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K reports. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release and are based on current expectations and involve a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Readers are strongly encouraged to read the full cautionary statements and risk factors contained in GEO's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including those referenced above. GEO disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law. View source version on Contacts Pablo E. Paez, (866) 301 4436Executive Vice President, Corporate Relations Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Oklahoma judge sentences 'Chiefsaholic' in Tulsa robbery
TULSA, Okla. — An Oklahoma judge added more prison time to a well-known Chiefs fan known as 'Chiefsaholic' and for his string of robberies across the country to fund his obsession with the Super Bowl team. On Monday, Xavier Babudar, 30, was sentenced to 34 years in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Both his state and his 17.5-year federal sentence will run together. Upon completing his federal sentence, he will serve 14.5 years in the Oklahoma prison system. Babudar's robbery spree over seven states enabled him to purchase expensive tickets to Kansas City Chiefs games and cultivate a large online following as 'Chiefsaholic,' a knockoff of the Chiefs' official mascot, K.C. Wolf. The Chief's Superfan pleaded guilty in Tulsa District Court to robbery with a dangerous weapon and assault while masked or disguised in connection with a 2022 robbery of the Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union in Bixby, Oklahoma. He also pleaded to remove an electronic monitoring device. The Kansas City Chiefs Superfan confessed to holding the bank employee at gunpoint and ordered her to open the vault, while he stole $139,000. Payton Garcia, the victim of the robbery, filed a civil suit against Babudar and was awarded $1.6 million for losses, $2 million for emotional damages, and $7.2 million in punitive damages. He is currently serving a 17-year federal sentence in Leavenworth, Kan., for a string of robberies in seven states that funded his obsession with the Kansas City Chiefs. Babudar's attorney asked for 22 years, saying, 'Babudar pleaded guilty to all counts and is taking responsibility for his actions. He is extremely remorseful and is fully prepared to serve his sentence and work to rehabilitate himself from his transgressions,' court records show. According to a brief filed in May, Tulsa prosecutors countered the 22-year sentence with a life sentence: 'This Court lacks any legitimate evidence of rehabilitative intent; it only has evidence of propensity to recidivate. At 29 years of age, Babudar's youth suggests a long recidivism risk.' Babudar made a 'mockery of Oklahoma law on a national stage when he exploited the court's bond leniency to resume his crime spree.' OKLAHOMA STATE'S BRIEF AS TO SENTENCING 'His disregard for Oklahoma law deepened as he committed two additional bank robberies while a fugitive: specifically, the robbery of Heritage Bank in Sparks, Nevada, and the robbery of U.S. Bank in El Dorado Hills, California,' the brief states. 'He engaged in these crimes with similar violent tactics- terrorizing bank employees through the threat of a weapon,' the state continued. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
19-year-old convicted for 2023 Oklahoma State Fair shooting
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — A 19-year-old man has been convicted for a shooting that took place at the Oklahoma State Fair in September 2023. The Oklahoma County jury found 19-year-old Canaan Jenkins guilty on Friday after being arrested and charged with assault and battery with a deadly weapon for a shooting that occurred at the 2023 Oklahoma State Fair. RELATED: 'Where am I safe?': OK State Fair confirms teen shooter didn't go through detector, officials still uncertain of how he got in During the State Fair on September 23, 2023, Oklahoma City Police were called to reports of a shooting at the Bennett Event Center. Upon arrival, officers found one victim with a gunshot wound. They were transported to a local hospital, where the victim was treated for the wound for three weeks before being released The suspect, Jenkins, had fled the scene after the shooting, but officers were able to find him and take him in for questioning at the Oklahoma City Police Department headquarters. RELATED: 'Something just came over me': 14-year-old performs life saving measure on OK State Fair shooting victim Jenkins had originally denied being the shooter but would eventually admit to the crime, claiming to be the suspect and that he fired his weapon in self-defense after a fight had happened, according to the release. The jury, after finding Jenkins to be guilty of the crime, sentenced him to eight years in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. A formal sentencing is scheduled in court on June 30. Jenkins entered a blind plea for a conjoint robbery that happened on September 22, 2023, one day before the shooting at the State Fair. He could face anywhere from the minimum sentence of five years to a maximum of 50 years in prison. He will be sentenced for the conjoint robbery also on June 30. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Winnipeg Free Press
07-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Inmate transferred to Oklahoma by Trump administration denied clemency, set to be executed
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma board denied clemency on Wednesday for a man convicted of killing a Tulsa woman in 1999, clearing the way for his execution next month after the Trump administration expedited his transfer from a federal prison. Oklahoma's five-member Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 to reject clemency for 61-year-old John Fitzgerald Hanson. Hanson, whose name in some federal court records is George John Hanson, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection on June 12. Without a recommendation from the board, Gov. Kevin Stitt is unable to commute Hanson's sentence to life in prison without parole. Hanson was sentenced to death in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, after he was convicted of carjacking, kidnapping and killing Mary Bowles after he and an accomplice, Victor Miller, kidnapped the woman from a Tulsa shopping mall. Prosecutors allege the pair drove Bowles to a gravel pit near Owasso, where Miller shot and killed the property owner, Jerald Thurman. The two then drove Bowles a short distance away, where Hanson shot and killed Bowles, according to prosecutors. This March 4, 2025, photo provided by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections shows John Fitzgerald Hanson, 61. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP) Miller received a no-parole life prison sentence for his role in the crimes. Hanson, who appeared before the board via a video link to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, expressed remorse for his involvement in the crimes and apologized to the families of the victims. 'I'm not an evil person,' Hanson said. 'I was caught in a situation I couldn't control. I can't change the past, but I would if I could.' Hanson's attorneys acknowledged Hanson participated in the kidnapping and carjacking, but said there was no definitive evidence that he shot and killed Bowles. They painted Hanson as a troubled youth who suffered from autism spectrum disorder and who was controlled and manipulated by the domineering Miller. They also presented testimony from prison employees at the U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock, Louisiana, that Hanson was a well-respected inmate with a good work ethic and a history of helping staff and other prisoners. Emma Rolls, the first assistant for the Federal Public Defender's office, described Hanson as 'a remorseful man who wants to do his time and stay away from mischief.' Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Sign up for The Warm-Up But prosecutors and family members of the victims cast doubt on the sincerity of Hanson's remorse. Sara Mooney, Mary Bowles' niece, told the board Hanson never attempted to contact her in the last 26 years to apologize or offer an explanation for his role in the crimes. 'If anything, he regrets being caught,' said Assistant Attorney General Michel Trapasso. Hanson was transferred to Oklahoma custody in March by federal officials following through on President Donald Trump's sweeping executive order to more actively support the death penalty. Both Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond and his predecessor, John O'Connor, had sought Hanson's transfer during President Joe Biden's administration, but the U.S. Bureau of Prisons denied it, saying the transfer was not in the public interest. 'The Biden administration protected this monster from justice for too long,' Drummond told the board.
