Timothy Lewis, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Kentucky 2023

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Timothy Lewis, 53, of Jefferson County, will spend the next 16 years and eight months in federal prison after a jury found him guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The sentence, handed down yesterday, reflects the severity of his repeated offenses and a blatant disregard for the law. Lewis will also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after his incarceration. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case, spearheaded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Louisville Metro Police Department, centered around a Smith & Wesson, Model M&P 40 PRO Series, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol and ammunition Lewis illegally possessed on June 25, 2018. Prosecutors successfully argued that Lewis, already saddled with a substantial criminal record, had no legal right to own a weapon.

Lewis’s rap sheet stretches back over a decade, revealing a pattern of property crimes and dishonesty. In 2018, he was convicted in Jefferson Circuit Court of burglary in the third degree, receiving stolen property under $10,000, theft by unlawful taking exceeding $500, and tampering with physical evidence – all under case number 16-CR-2203. Prior convictions included complicity to burglary in the second degree (2015, case 14-CR-1604), and multiple counts of theft and receiving stolen property dating back to 2012 (case 12-CR-0775).

But the most damning evidence presented at trial detailed a 2007 conviction (case 06-CR-3183) encompassing receiving goods by fraud, multiple counts of burglary and theft (totaling over $300), receiving stolen property (including a vehicle), possessing a forged instrument, credit card fraud, tampering with evidence, and – critically – prior possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. This latest conviction demonstrates a clear and persistent pattern of criminal behavior, escalating the consequences for Lewis.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, alongside ATF Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow and Louisville Metro Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel, announced the sentencing, framing it as a victory for Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is a federal program focused on reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaborative law enforcement and community engagement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia P. Gomez, with paralegal Julie Mason’s assistance, successfully prosecuted the case.

This conviction sends a clear message: those who repeatedly break the law, especially when involving firearms, will face significant federal penalties. The ATF and Louisville Metro Police continue to prioritize investigations targeting individuals who pose a threat to public safety, working to remove illegal weapons from the streets and hold offenders accountable. The length of Lewis’s sentence underscores the seriousness with which federal authorities are addressing gun crime in Kentucky.

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