A Kentucky State Police trooper who was serving on the governor’s security detail has been charged with two felonies tied to allegations he stole property belonging to KSP.
Trooper Daniel S. Forbis is charged with theft by unlawful taking and abuse of public trust.
The property Forbis is accused of stealing was about $17,000 worth of ammunition, according to Franklin County Commonwealth’s Attorney Larry Cleveland.
Cleveland also said that the ammunition was stolen from a storage facility on the grounds of the Governor’s Mansion.
Forbis was hired as a Kentucky State Police trooper in 2017, according to his personnel file, which LEX 18 obtained through an open records request. He was transferred to the executive security branch in August of 2020 by order of then-Commissioner Rodney Brewer, according to his file.
The alleged thefts occurred between June 17, 2023, and February 18, 2024, according to Forbis’ indictment.
On March 25, 2024, current KSP Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. ordered that Forbis be transferred from the executive security branch to Post 15 in Columbia, according to Forbis’ personnel file.
In a statement Tuesday, Kentucky State Police spokeswoman Sherry Bray said that Forbis was transferred to the Columbia post and placed on paid administrative leave “as soon as KSP leadership was made aware of the alleged incident.” He has since been suspended without pay.
“The Kentucky State Police is committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism, ethics and morals in service to the citizens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky,” Bray said in the statement.
James Hatchett, a spokesman for the office of Gov. Andy Beshear, said Tuesday that the governor does not choose the members of his detail.
“The allegations here are concerning as the alleged actions could have compromised the safety of the governor and his family,” Hatchett said. “The governor believes everyone is accountable for their actions and trusts the judicial system in dealing with this matter.”
Court records indicate Forbis wasn’t arrested on the charges. Instead, he was served with a criminal summons to appear in court in July.
Both of the charges against Forbis areClass C felonies, meaning they could each carry a sentence of 5 to 10 years if he’s convicted.
