COVINGTON, KENTUCKY – A Cincinnati man, Keith A. Shaffer, 34, was sentenced on Tuesday to 30 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to his plea agreement, on March 11, 2020, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Shaffer’s vehicle, finding him in possession of a 9mm loaded gun. Shaffer admitted that he was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Shaffer was previously convicted of second-degree burglary, in July 2006. Shaffer pled guilty to the current charge in September 2020.
Under federal law, Shaffer must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years, after his release from prison.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Bill Birkenhauer, Chief of the Highland Heights Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and the Highland Heights Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, Acting U.S. Attorney Shier, coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.