Federal Grand Jury Indicts Nelson County Man for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon

Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville returned an indictment on May 17, 2023, charging a Nelson County man with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.   

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 Kim Kraeszig of the Bardstown Police Department made the announcement.

According to the indictment, Dustin Stump, 30, of Cox’s Creek, Kentucky, was charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On May 4, 2023, Stump possessed an American Tactical, 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition. Stump was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On April 5, 2019, in Nelson Circuit Court, Stump was convicted of being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun, wanton endangerment in the first-degree police officer, and receiving stolen property, a firearm. On September 22, 2017, in Nelson County Circuit Court, Stump was convicted of theft by unlawful taking or disposition automobile $500 or more but under $10,000.

The defendant made his initial court appearance yesterday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, Stump faces a maximum sentence of 15 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 the Bardstown Police Department. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Porter is prosecuting 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.

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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