LEXINGTON, Ky. - Eddie Paul Harris, 69, of Lincoln County, Kentucky, has been sentenced, by Chief United States District Judge Karen K. Caldwell. On Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018, he was formally sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Harris was found to be an armed career criminal and was sentenced to 180 months imprisonment.
Harris, who had previously been convicted of two murders, armed robbery, and second degree robbery, among other things, admitted to unlawfully possessing the firearm. On Dec. 31, 2015, the Kentucky State Police Strategic Response Team, with the aid of local law enforcement, arrived at Harris’s residence to execute an arrest warrant. Harris refused to exit the premises. A witness, who had already exited the residence told officers that Harris was armed and intended to fire at officers, causing law enforcement to escalate its response. Ultimately, officers were able to apprehend Harris. Inside the residence, officers located a loaded, short-barreled Remington shotgun. Harris pleaded guilty to the charges in July 2018.
Under federal law, Harris must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for a period of five years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Stuart Lowery, Special Agent in Charge, ATF; and Richard Sanders, Kentucky State Police, jointly made the announcement.
ATF and Kentucky State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Tanner Bradley represented the United States.
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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017, as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, local strategies to reduce violent crime.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
