Duncan man accused of witness intimidation

DUNCAN — A 20-year-old man found guilty of causing a fatal wreck on New Year’s Eve 2022 is now accused of pressuring his girlfriend to lie for him on the witness stand.

The Stephens County District Court issued a felony arrest warrant on Friday for Adrian Nathaniel Vargas, of Duncan, for a felony count of attempting to prevent a witness from giving testimony, records indicate. The crime is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Vargas has been held in the Stephens County jail on $250,000 since his initial appearance Jan. 4, 2023, for a felony count of second-degree murder, records indicate.

On Thursday, a Stephens County jury found Vargas guilty and recommended he serve 10 years in prison. Formal sentencing will follow a pre-sentence investigation, records indicate.

Vargas was found guilty of being high on marijuana when his Jeep collided with Harlen G. Files, 79, of Velma, who was pronounced dead at the scene a half-mile south of Oklahoma 7 on a Stephens County road.

Files had been driving a Kubota Side By Side ATV across the county road around 4:45 p.m. Dec. 31, 2022, to help a neighbor with yard work when he was struck by the southbound Jeep, the probable cause affidavit states. Files was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from his vehicle.

Vargas and his passenger were wearing seatbelts and were not injured.

Investigators learned Vargas had a suspended driver’s license, according to the affidavit. When asked, Vargas told the trooper he had a medical marijuana card and had recently smoked marijuana. After being medically cleared, Vargas was arrested.

According to the charge, Vargas has a prior May 2022 misdemeanor conviction in Jefferson County for driving under the influence of drugs.

The latest charge includes allegations he pressured his girlfriend, during Jan. 12 phone calls, not to testify against him. Investigators learned of the pressure campaign while listening to his phone calls from the jail.

Vargas has two other pending cases relating to his time in jail.

On Nov. 16, 2023, Vargas was charged with possession of contraband by an inmate and given a $50,000 bond.

Less than a month later, Vargas was charged with three other jail inmates with aggravated assault and battery charges for the the Nov. 5, 2023, beating of another inmate that led to him suffering two broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

Vargas was charged along with Dylan Crawford, 20, and Dakota Lee Burden, both of Marlow; and Arturo Hinojos, 19, of Duncan.

An additional $75,000 bond was issued upon Vargas’ initial court appearance, records indicate.