Jefferson County Man with Multiple Prior Felony Convictions Indicted on Federal Gun Charge

Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky returned an indictment on February 7, 2023, charging a local man with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

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, Anthony Stewart, 22, was charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On October 28, 2022, Stewart possessed a Smith and Wesson handgun after he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On February 1, 2019, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Stewart was convicted of robbery in the second degree, burglary in the second degree, and receiving stolen property over $500 but less than $10,000. On April 16, 2021, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Stewart was convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, two counts of receiving stolen property over $500, and receiving a stolen firearm. On April 14, 2021, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Stewart was convicted of escape in the second degree, tampering with a prisoner monitoring device, and theft by failure to make required disposition of property over $500 but less than $10,000.

The defendant made an initial court appearance last week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, Stewart 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 Louisville Metro Police Department.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh Porter.

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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