FRANKFORT, Ky. – A former Lieutenant Colonel of Kentucky State Police (KSP), Michael Crawford, 58, of Georgetown, Ky., was convicted on Tuesday by a federal jury of conspiracy to misappropriate weapons belonging to Kentucky State Police.
According to evidence at trial, in 2016, Crawford conspired with John Goble, 68, the former coroner of Scott County, and KSP armorer, Mitch Harris, to unlawfully misappropriate 21 firearms belonging to Kentucky State Police, including 19 shotguns and 2 M1A rifles. Crawford’s co-defendant, John Goble, previously pleaded guilty to a related conspiracy between the same individuals to misappropriate 187 cases of KSP ammunition, valued at approximately $40,000, which was stored in the basement of Goble’s office.
Crawford and Goble were indicted federally in March 2021.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Col. Phillip Burnett, Commissioner, Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the conviction.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and KSP. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ken Taylor and Kate Smith.
Crawford is scheduled to be sentenced on December 13, 2022. He faces up five years in prison and a maximum of a $250,000 fine. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
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