Kearney man sentenced for being an unlawful user in possession of firearms

LINCOLN, Neb. (KSNB) - A Kearney man getting a nearly two-year prison term for being an unlawful user of controlled substances while in possession of firearms.

Senior U.S. District Court Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced 29-year-old Tyler Ray Tockey to a 21 month prison term, followed by two years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Tockey pleaded guilty to the offense on November 29, 2022.

According to the release from U.S. Attorney Steven Russell, on March 24, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Tockey’s residence in Kearney. Inside the residence, they found firearms, ammunition, marijuana, and methamphetamine. Tockey was arrested. After being advised of the Miranda warnings, Tockey said he was the only person who lived at the residence. He admitted to being a regular user of marijuana and methamphetamine. He also said that police would find firearms and drugs in his residence.

The investigation was conducted by the Kearney Police Department, the Nebraska State Patrol, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.