LOUISVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — An Indiana man has pleaded guilty to illegally transferring a firearm that was later used in the fatal shooting of a Russell County Sheriff's Deputy to a convicted felon, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Kentucky.
A release from the office states that court documents show 41-year-old Shawn Michael Kays "pleaded guilty to an information charging firearms trafficking." Between November of 2023 and January of 2024, Kays transported and transferred a nine-millimeter Smith and Wesson to a convicted felon, according to the plea.
The release says that a criminal complaint, which was filed on Sept. 19, alleged that the gun was used in the fatal shooting of Russell County Sheriff's Deputy Joshua Phipps.
The release adds that Kays is not charged with or alleged to have been involved in the shooting of the deputy.
The maximum penalty is 15 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system. The sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2025.
