A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, has indicted a local man for illegal possession of a firearm. The indictment was returned on February 4, 2025, charging Emmett Morris, 28, with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon on July 29, 2024.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge A.J. Gibes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department.
Morris is prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions. On January 14, 2022, he was convicted in Jefferson Circuit Court for trafficking controlled substances and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Earlier on January 21, 2016, he was convicted for facilitation to murder and other charges including robbery.
Morris appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on February 6, 2025, at the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky and remains in federal custody pending trial. If found guilty, he could face up to 15 years in prison as there is no parole in the federal system.
The case is under investigation by the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Porter is prosecuting.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The program emphasizes trust-building within communities and strategic enforcement priorities.
It should be noted that an indictment is merely an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
