Greenup County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm as Convicted Felon

ASHLAND, Ky.- Justin Huffman, 31, of Greenup, Kentucky, pled guilty in federal court on Monday, before U.S. District Court Judge David L. Bunning, to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

Huffman admitted that on September 21, 2019, that he went to a victims’ residence in Greenup County, with a juvenile, and struck a victim in the face with a firearm, in order to retrieve property. Prior to being stopped by officers, Huffman admitted to giving the firearm to the juvenile, to conceal it from police. The firearm was recovered by law enforcement, who then confirmed the firearm was stolen. Huffman admitted that he knowingly possessed the firearm and that he was prohibited from possessing it, as a convicted felon.                       

Huffman was indicted in December 2019. Huffman was previously convicted, in 2013, of Second Degree Robbery, in Boyd County Circuit Court.

Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Tommy Estevan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF Louisville Field Division; and Sheriff Matt Smith, Greenup County Sheriff’s Department, jointly announced the guilty plea.

The investigation was conducted by ATF and Greenup County Sheriff’s Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco Villalobos II. 

Huffman is scheduled to be sentenced on May 11, 2020. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal 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 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

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

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