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Date: July 8, 2026
Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov
Louisville, KY – A Louisville man and Berea man were sentenced on July 2, 2026, to 18 years and 7 years respectively for conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge Bobby Kuszynski of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Dennis M. Fetting of the Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
Shawn Beason of Louisville, Kentucky, was sentenced to 18 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Justin Cummins of Berea, Kentucky, was sentenced to 7 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
On April 5, 2024, investigators were conducting surveillance of Shawn Beason. Beason was followed and observed in the Lowe’s parking lot located at 9800 Preston Crossings Boulevard, Louisville, Kentucky. Investigators observed Justin Cummins, enter the backseat of Beason's vehicle and remain there for approximately one minute before exiting and returning to his vehicle. Beason then departed from the area.
After Beason departed from the area, investigators conducted surveillance on Cummins and conducted a traffic stop of Cummins’ vehicle. Law enforcement recovered 536.9 grams of methamphetamine from the vehicle.
On Feb. 24, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Beason’s residence. Two firearms were seized during the search: a Glock, 17 Gen 4, 9mm pistol and a Glock, 42, .380 caliber pistol. Beason was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses:
On July 27, 2018, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Jefferson County, Kentucky, Beason was convicted of complicity to trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree (two counts).
On July 27, 2018, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Jefferson County, Kentucky, Beason was convicted of enhanced trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree.
On July 27, 2018, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Jefferson County, Kentucky, Beason was convicted of complicity to trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree.
On July 27, 2018, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Jefferson County, Kentucky, Beason was convicted of complicity to trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree.
Based upon his criminal history, Beason qualified as a Career Offender and Armed Career Criminal and was sentenced to 18 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release
United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, “Louisville has been plagued by career criminals who remain armed and continue to sell drugs. This Department of Justice is determined and committed to imprison these incorrigible career criminals to make our communities safer. My hope is that Beason’s 18-year prison sentence sends a strong deterrent message to Louisville’s other career criminals to stop and stop now.”
Special Agent in Charge John Nokes stated, “The sentence Beason and his co-conspirator received in this case shows ATF’s commitment to keeping the public safe from career offenders and those who continue to plague our communities with harmful narcotics.”
Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department stated, “These criminals fueled the distribution of dangerous drugs on our streets. Thanks to the relentless efforts of our law enforcement partners, they have been held accountable, and our community is safer because of it.”
There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the ATF Louisville Field Division, the Louisville Metro Police Department, the DEA Louisville Field Division, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Kentucky State Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erwin Roberts prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Louisville comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, and IRS, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.
IRS-CI is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. It is the only federal law enforcement agency with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code. IRS-CI has 18 field offices located across the U.S. and maintains an international presence through attaché posts abroad.