A Kansas sheriff has been charged with selling a gun to a felon and falsely certifying that deputies had received training.
Ness County Sheriff Bryan Whipple, 47, of Ness City, is charged with three counts of wire fraud and one count of selling a firearm to a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
A federal indictment alleges that Whipple sold a .45 caliber pistol and ammunition to a man he knew was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a prior felony conviction, the release said. It also alleges that he faxed to the Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training reports falsely certifying that deputies had received training.
The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2013, 2016 and 2017, the release said.
If convicted, Whipple faces up 10 years in prison and a fine up $250,000 on the firearm charge. He would face up to 20 years and a $250,000 fine on each wire fraud count.
After Whipple was arrested by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation in December, he was arrested again in January after allegedly contacting a person associated with his initial case.
Source: http://www.kansas.com/news/local/crime/article209838214.html