A federal jury in Lexington has convicted Keith Lamont Stallworth, 41, of multiple firearms offenses. The verdict was reached on August 27 after a three-day trial and 40 minutes of jury deliberation.
Stallworth was found guilty of carrying and using a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, possessing a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, possessing a machine gun, and failing to register the machine gun.
Testimony presented at the trial revealed that Stallworth was arrested in August 2023 with a .57 caliber Palmetto Arms pistol loaded with high velocity rifle rounds and an extended magazine. Authorities executed a search warrant at his downtown Lexington apartment, where they discovered methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, as well as additional firearms including an illegally modified .40 caliber pistol equipped with a conversion device known as a “switch” or “Glock switch,” making it fully automatic under federal law.
Stallworth had previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute significant amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine and to using his residence for manufacturing and distributing controlled substances.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge for the DEA Louisville Field Division; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge for ATF Louisville Field; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; Chief Lawrence Weathers from the Lexington Police Department; Chief Michael Fleming from Nicholasville Police Department; and Sheriff Kevin Grimes from Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office jointly announced the conviction.
The investigation involved several agencies: DEA, ATF, Kentucky State Police (KSP), Lexington Police Department, Nicholasville Police Department, and Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West is prosecuting the case.
Stallworth is scheduled for sentencing on December 1. He faces up to life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 40 years. The final sentence will be determined by the Court after considering federal guidelines and statutes.
