Flemingsburg Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon

LEXINGTON, Ky.- A Flemingsburg, Ky., man, Wesley A. Miles, 28, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, before Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, to illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.             

According to his plea agreement, on June 1, 2018, Miles was involved in an altercation at a restaurant in Paris, Ky.  Miles admitted that, during the altercation, he exited the restaurant and retrieved a firearm from his vehicle. Prior to leaving the scene, Miles fired a single shot in the air., Miles then fled the scene and disposed of the firearm by throwing it out of his vehicle’s window.  Miles admitted that, at the time, he had been convicted of a crime and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.                       

Miles was indicted in June 2020.

Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Myron Thomas, Paris Police Department, jointly announced the guilty plea.

The investigation was conducted by ATF and the Paris Police Department.  The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco Villalobos.

Miles is scheduled to be sentenced on April 26, 2021.  He faces up to 10 years in prison. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes. 

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Robert Duncan Jr., coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian

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