Lexington man indicted on federal weapons charges after house explosion

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A federal grand jury indicted a Lexington man on weapons charges after an April explosion and house fire led investigators to discover illegally possessed firearms, according to LEX 18 News.

Jonathan O. Huff was indicted April 23 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky on charges of possessing a 9mm Glock 19 Gen5 pistol and a 5.56-caliber Ruger AR-556 rifle despite having a prior felony conviction, court documents show.

The charges stem from an incident on April 12, when the Lexington Fire Department responded to a house fire in the 700 block of Orleans Circle around 7:45 a.m. Witnesses reported hearing two explosions before the fire erupted and told law enforcement they saw Huff flee the residence on foot while carrying a black bag and stating he needed to leave, investigators said. Huff later returned to the scene and was transported to a hospital with severe burns to his hands and back.

During the investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lexington Police Department Hazardous Devices Unit executed a search warrant on Huff's vehicle. Investigators recovered the 9mm pistol from a black backpack and the rifle at the scene. Huff admitted during questioning to possessing both weapons.

Court records indicate Huff was convicted of felony methamphetamine possession in Indiana in 2021, which prohibited him from legally possessing firearms under federal law.

If convicted, Huff faces up to 15 years in prison, fines up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. The indictment also includes forfeiture allegations that would require him to surrender the weapons and ammunition to the federal government.