A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, has indicted two men on charges related to drug trafficking and firearms offenses. The indictment, returned on January 8, 2025, accuses Sukhjit Bains and Jonathan Ernspiker of several crimes including trafficking in firearms and distribution of methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky announced the charges alongside officials from the ATF Louisville Field Division, DEA Louisville Field Division, IRS Criminal Investigation's Cincinnati Field Office, and the Louisville Metro Police Department.
According to the indictment details, Sukhjit Bains faces multiple charges: two counts each for trafficking in firearms and distribution of methamphetamine over 50 grams; possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime; possession by a prohibited person; and illegal possession of a machine gun. This machine gun was identified as a 3D printed Glock type conversion device capable of converting semi-automatic handguns into automatic weapons.
Bains is prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions dating back to November 28, 2018, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine among other offenses.
Jonathan Ernspiker also faces charges for trafficking in firearms and distributing over 50 grams of methamphetamine. Like Bains, he is charged with possessing a firearm during a drug-related crime while being legally prohibited from doing so due to prior felony convictions spanning back to October 1, 2008.
Both defendants made initial court appearances earlier this month before U.S. Magistrate Judges in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Ernspiker remains detained pending trial while Bains' detention hearing is scheduled for January 16th.
If convicted, both men face significant prison time: Bains could receive between 15 years to life imprisonment while Ernspiker faces between 10 years to life imprisonment. Sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge based on sentencing guidelines.
The investigation involves multiple agencies including ATF, LMPD, DEA, and IRS-CI as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation aiming at dismantling high-level criminal organizations through coordinated efforts.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Porter is prosecuting this case under provisions from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act enacted in June 2022 targeting unlawful firearm activities.
It should be noted that an indictment represents only allegations until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court proceedings.
