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NEWS

2 local men face federal gun charges

Cameron Knight
cknight@enquirer.com
Phillips

After making headlines for their recent crimes, two men are now facing additional federal firearms charges Thursday after the an ATF task force joined the investigation, officials said.

Keno Phillips, 41, has been charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense by a federal grand jury.

Steve Ivery, 30, faces a charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person.

Both were arrested and charged locally in September in separate incidents.

Phillips was apprehended after a dramatic traffic stop involving Lockland police on Sept. 14. Police say he pointed a gun at officer Matt Kurtz and pulled the trigger, but the gun didn't fire.

Ivery

Police said Ivery led officers on a chase and tried to ram a cruiser after the armed robbery of a College Hill Family Dollar Store.

"The indictment charging Ivery alleges that he possessed a revolver and ammunition after being convicted of three violent felonies," a press release from the Cincinnati Police Department stated. "Ivery is charged as being an armed career criminal."

The federal indictment against Phillips notes he is a felon, having been convicted in both state and federal courts, and claims he used a handgun during a drug trafficking crime.

If convicted, Phillips faces a mandatory sentence of 5 years and up to life for the trafficking offense, and up to 10 years imprisonment for possessing a handgun as a felon.

Ivery would face a mandatory sentence of 15 years and up to life if he's convict of his federal charges, officials said.

“These indictments illustrate the commitment of state and federal law enforcement working together to pursue federal charges against those who illegally wield weapons and perpetuate gun violence,” U.S. Attorney Carter Stewart said.