Louisville Man Sentenced to Over 7 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm and a Machinegun

Press Release

Louisville, KY - A local man was sentenced this week to 7 years and 2 months prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and illegal possession of a machine gun.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.

"I commend the work of ATF and LMPD in this case," stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. "The combined partnership of federal and state law enforcement in the Louisville Metro area continues to pay dividends as we continue to remove the most violent individuals from the streets and send them to federal prison."

According to court documents, Aaron Kidwell, 34, was sentenced to 7 years and 2 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a Glock, Model 17, 9-millimeter pistol, ammunition, and a Glock Switch device (machinegun conversion device). A Glock Switch device allows a semi-automatic handgun to function as an automatic and is defined as a machine gun under federal law. On February 19, 2024, Kidwell led detectives on a chase while driving a large Kubota tractor through residential areas while armed with the loaded Glock, Model 17, 9-millimeter pistol with a Glock Switch attached to it. Kidwell was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.

On December 7, 2009, in Floyd Superior Court No. 1, Floyd County, Indiana, Kidwell was convicted of criminal trespass.

On February 27, 2014, in Floyd Superior Court No. 1, Floyd County, Indiana, Kidwell was convicted of dealing in marijuana.

On February 12, 2018, in Floyd Superior Court No. 3, Floyd County, Indiana, Kidwell was convicted of strangulation.

On September 17, 2018, in Clark Circuit Court No. 3, Clark County, Indiana, Kidwell was convicted of identity deception.

There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the ATF with assistance from the Louisville Metro Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Erwin Roberts prosecuted the case.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case is also a part of the Prohibited Firearm Possessor Initiative (PFP), a collaborative partnership between all levels of law enforcement and prosecutors to reduce violent crime and firearm offenses. On January 23, 2024, Louisville Metro initiated a gun crime reduction initiative focused on investigating and prosecuting illegal firearm possession. The PFP partners include the Louisville Metro Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Jefferson County Attorney's Office, the Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, the Kentucky Attorney General's Office, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky.

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Updated December 17, 2024