By Steve Neavling
A former Kentucky FBI agent who was accused of illegally taking guns from a bureau storage office has pleaded guilty to federal charges.
Michael Van Aelstyn, 45, faces up to one year and a day in jail when he is sentenced on March 28, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports.
Prosecutors allege Van Aelstyn removed two illegal firearms he had seized from a suspect’s home after placing them in an FBI office for storage.
He told prosecutors that he removed the guns in 2018 because of an upcoming office inspection that would have found the guns were still in an evidence room without proper documentation, which would be “cause for concern for office inspectors,” according to court documents.
Van Aelstyn said he placed the guns in a safe at his home.
Van Aelstyn also was accused of illegally possessing a 20-gauge Winchester shotgun with a sawed-off barrel, which was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, according to court documents.
