'Go home and lock everything down' - man tells girlfriend during arrest

A Carlisle, Ky., man, Ronald G. Miller, 43, was sentenced on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell to 60 months in prison, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to his plea agreement, on July 2, 2024, law enforcement observed Miller, who was known to be a convicted felon, at the Blackberry Festival, openly carrying a loaded handgun on his hip. Miller admitted to knowing he was a convicted felon, and during his arrest, he yelled to his girlfriend to “go home and lock everything down.” A search warrant was obtained for Miller’s residence and revealed a rifle, pistol, and multiple magazines and boxes of ammunition.

Under federal law, Miller must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Office; Chief Gary Kinder, Carlisle Police Department; and Sheriff Berl Perdue, Jr., Clark County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by ATF, Carlisle Police Department, and Clark County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paco Villalobos.

This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities.  It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts.  In the Eastern District of Kentucky, Acting U.S. Attorney McCaffrey coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.