Federal Grand Jury Indicts Louisville Man and Woman for Firearms Offenses

Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned an indictment today charging a local man and woman with violations of federal firearms laws.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.

According to the indictment, between April 12, 2022, and June 17, 2022, George Verner, 28, a convicted felon, aided and abetted by Monique Pruitt Verner, 28, possessed a Taurus, Model G2C, 9-millimeter pistol after having previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.   On August 9, 2013, in Jefferson Circuit Court, George Verner was convicted of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, receiving stolen firearms, and illegal possession of a controlled substance, schedule I hallucinogen, marijuana, while in possession of a firearm. On April 26, 2010, in Jefferson Circuit Court, George Verner was convicted of robbery in the first degree and tampering with physical evidence.

Also, according to the indictment, between April 12, 2022, and June 17, 2022, Monique Pruitt Verner transferred a firearm to George Verner, while having reasonable cause to believe he had been convicted of a felony. 

Both defendants will make their initial court appearances before a United States Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Kentucky on a later date. If convicted, George Verner faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and Monique Pruitt Verner faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case is being investigated by the ATF and Louisville Metro Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Dahl is prosecuting this 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.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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