Providing certain types of assistance to someone who is legally considered a “fugitive” in Okmulgee, Oklahoma is a crime. Even simple assistance like a meal, or a change of clothes could be considered harboring a fugitive in Oklahoma.
You may also be under the obligation to provide the police with accurate information about the fugitive. Misleading the police could also lead to a criminal charge for harboring a fugitive in Oklahoma.
What is Harboring a Fugitive in Oklahoma?
In Oklahoma, anyone who has just committed a felony crime or is seeking to escape arrest is considered a “fugitive.”
“Harboring” includes lodging, clothing, arming, equipping, harboring, aiding, assisting, or concealing a fugitive.
Under the statute, “Any person who shall knowingly feed, lodge, clothe, arm, equip in whole or in part, harbor, aid, assist or conceal in any manner any person guilty of any felony, or outlaw, or fugitive from justice, or any person seeking to escape arrest for any felony committed within this state or any other state or territory, shall be guilty of a felony.” Okla. Stat. tit. 21 § 440
Laws Regarding Harboring Sex Offenders
Harboring a person who has not complied with sex offender registration requirements can lead to a misdemeanor charge. The law includes those who intentionally withhold information from or fail to notify the police about the sex offender’s non-compliance.
“It shall be unlawful for any person who has reason to believe that a sex offender is in violation of the registration requirements of the Sex Offenders Registration Act and who has the intent to assist the sex offender in eluding arrest, to do any of the following:
- Withhold information from, or fail to notify, a law enforcement agency about the noncompliance of the sex offender with the registration requirements of the Sex Offenders Registration Act, and, if known, the whereabouts of the offender;
- Harbor, attempt to harbor, or assist another person in harboring or attempting to harbor, the sex offender;
- Conceal, or attempt to conceal, or assist another person in concealing or attempting to conceal, the sex offender; or
- Provide information to a law enforcement agency regarding the sex offender that the person knows to be false information.”
Penalties for Harboring a Fugitive in Okmulgee
Harboring a fugitive in Oklahoma is a felony crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Knowingly harboring an unregistered sex offender is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $500, up to a year in jail, or both.
Low-cost Consultation: Okmulgee Criminal Defense Attorney
If you or someone close to you is accused of harboring a fugitive in Oklahoma, then get in touch with an Okmulgee criminal defense attorney for a low-cost, no-obligation consultation.
Contact the Wirth Law Office – Okmulgee today, by calling 918-756-9600 or toll free at 1-888-Wirth-Law (1-888-947-8452).
If you prefer, you can use the box in the upper right-hand corner of this page to send a question or brief message.
