The current Scott County coroner and a former Kentucky State Police captain have been charged in federal court with conspiracy to commit theft related to guns and ammunition stolen from KSP.
Coroner John Goble, 66, and former KSP Capt. Michael Crawford, 56, also of Georgetown, were indicted on Thursday. The indictment alleges the two men conspired with a trooper, Robert M. Harris, 47, to illegally obtain weapons and ammo from KSP.
In 2018, Goble was indicted by a Scott County Grand Jury on two counts of receiving stolen property, two counts of official misconduct, abuse of public trust, and possession of a controlled substance (oxycodone); Crawford was indicted on two counts of receiving stolen property; and Harris was indicted on two counts of receiving stolen property.
All the state charges are pending.
An internal KSP investigation found that 200 boxes of ammunition, three M1A rifles and 10 Remington shotguns were unlawfully removed by Harris from KSP’s Supply Branch in Frankfort. The value of the stolen items was approximately $40,000. The federal indictment states that Crawford, a former Post Commander, asked Harris to provide him with various calibers and gauges of ammunition, as well as firearms.
Crawford then, according to the indictment, transported the stolen goods to Goble’s Georgetown office before the items were taken to Goble’s residence. Goble and Crawford, who paid Harris for the stolen items, then re-sold the stolen firearms and ammo.
Harris had access to the Supply Branch because in 2015 he was caught on surveillance cameras charging overtime work for a shift he did not work. After an investigation, he was suspended, taken off the road and reassigned to the Supply Branch.
(Headline photo l-r: John Goble, Michael Crawford)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
