Christian County Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearms

Paducah, KY – A Christian County, Kentucky man was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison, followed by a 3-year term of supervised release, for possessing a firearm after having previously been convicted of felony offenses, illegal possession of a machinegun, and possession of an unregistered firearm. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Maynard of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Sheriff Tyler DeArmond of the Christian County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.

According to court documents, on February 23, 2022, agents executed a search warrant at the residence of Shaun Powers, 43 of Hopkinsville. They located a privately manufactured firearm that was designed to function as a fully automatic machinegun. Agents also located a short-barreled rifle and other firearms parts and accessories. Powers was not allowed to possess these firearms because he had previously been convicted of the following felonies. On April 15, 2015, in Christian Circuit Court, Powers was convicted of first-degree promoting contraband, third-degree assault, second-degree burglary, and third-degree burglary.     

The case was investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Field Office and the Christian County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.

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.

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