OKC man sentenced in case where he alleged feds held 'future wife' Ronda Rousey hostage

A former Oklahoma City police officer has been sentenced to federal prison for threatening to murder federal law enforcement officers whom he thought were holding famous mixed martial artist Ronda Rousey hostage at Will Rogers World Airport.

The case unfolded on June 23, 2022, when the FBI received digital communications from Charles Dean Lack, 56, that read, in part:

“She is my future wife flew in from California and tge (sic) homeland security has corrupt her and I they will not release her to freedom they keep her a hostage in the airport in Oklahoma City she needs the FBI to get her out of there and don’t try to get her to pay any fee or anything until the FBI does their job and don’t be a corrupt idiot get her out of there before there is murder starts going on there to stop the homeland security corrupt idiots to keep doing this”

That day, local police conducted a welfare check on Lack after he contacted Oklahoma City police and said Rousey was coming to visit but was being detained at Will Rogers World Airport, court documents show.

On Aug. 5, 2022, the FBI received the following digital communication from Lack, which read, in part:

“I’m Charles Dean Lack retired as an Oklahoma City police officer/pilot. I’m fixing to head to Will Rogers airport in okc to start killing every homeland security’s employees for being corrupt and illegally holding my future wife in custody I have all the proof and willing to give my life for her if it takes in killing everyone that is involved in this corrupt world of government employees I don’t care if my life gets taken because several will go before I do”

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Authorities arrested Lack the next day.

Lack told authorities since his recent divorce he had been communicating with Rousey online, according to court documents. He claimed Rousey was his future wife, but he had never seen her in person.

Lack told authorities Rousey had been confined at Will Rogers World Airport for four months.

He said he made the threats but did not intend on carrying them out. Lack believed nobody would address his concerns until he threatened to go to the airport and kill federal agents, court documents show.

Still, Lack “went to the airport on three occasions in order to determine where Homeland Security was located,” according to a sentencing memorandum.

Lack also said he sent roughly $1,200 to Rousey.

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A scam leads to threats

Court documents reveal that from July 18 through Aug. 6 last year, 765 text messages were exchanged between Lack and a person pretending to be Rousey.

“The messages reflect that person is clearly manipulating Mr. Lack to provide money under the pretense that after the money is paid, the two can finally be together upon Rousey’s ‘release,’” Lack’s attorney wrote in the sentencing memorandum.

On April 19, Lack pleaded guilty and admitted to threatening to kill Transportation Security Administration officers at Will Rogers World Airport.

On July 14, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Lack to serve 15 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

Lack’s defense attorney argued that he was taken advantage of by a scam artist who promised to marry him after he gave them money.

In court documents, Lack is described as a law-abiding, peaceful and retired law enforcement officer and pilot who suffered a traumatic brain injury from a motorcycle accident in 2016.

After the injury, his marriage fell apart. Lack then met a scammer on the internet who pretended to be Rousey, according to the sentencing memorandum.

In support letters to the court, friends and former colleagues of Lack described him as a devout Christian who is a helpful and kind man willing to assist anyone in need.

A guardian for Lack hopes he can enter inpatient treatment, court documents show.

“In looking at Mr. Lack’s background, it is clear that his criminal actions resulted from his traumatic brain injury,” Lack’s attorney wrote.

Federal prosecutors respond

Prior to sentencing, federal prosecutors informed the court they were “sympathetic” regarding how Lack’s life unfolded after his retirement from law enforcement.

“Sentencings often involve discussions about who we are sentencing — the person who committed the crime or the person who now stands before the court?” prosecutors wrote in court filings. “These can often appear to be two separate people based on time, an understanding of the impact of their crime, family and community support, and remorse, among many other factors.”

Citing his three trips to Will Rogers World Airport, prosecutors wrote that Lack found it acceptable to threaten to murder federal law enforcement agents who stood in his way.

“It is truly sad to see where the defendant’s life has taken a turn,” prosecutors wrote. “Presumably, the person before the motorcycle accident would have never threatened his fellow members of law enforcement, but that is not the person with whom we now have grave concerns. There is also a need for general deterrence. In a time in which online threats seem to have become more common, a message needs to be sent about the seriousness of these crimes.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC man sentenced in case where he alleged feds held 'future wife' Ronda Rousey hostage