Canadian Citizen Arrested in Kentucky for Trafficking 43 Firearms to Detroit

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Canadian citizen was arrested on federal charges after a traffic stop in Madison County, Kentucky, revealed he was transporting 43 firearms, including stolen weapons and firearms equipped with machine-gun conversion devices, according to the criminal complaint filed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Kyshawn Joshua Maxwell, 24, of Toronto, Canada, was taken into custody on September 25, 2024, after Kentucky State Police troopers stopped a Nissan Rogue he was traveling in on Interstate 75. According to the criminal complaint, the troopers initiated the stop after observing the vehicle failing to maintain its lane and detecting other indicators of impaired driving, including a cracked windshield.

During the traffic stop, the driver, identified as a Lyft driver from Atlanta, claimed he was paid in cash to transport Maxwell and another individual from Atlanta to Detroit for $600. According to the criminal complaint, troopers noticed the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. The driver admitted to using marijuana and gave officers consent to search the vehicle, which led to the discovery of a plastic tote containing the firearms, according to the complaint.

According to the criminal complaint, six of the firearms were reported stolen, and five had been illegally modified with machine-gun conversion devices (Glock switches). The investigation also revealed that Maxwell was not a U.S. citizen, nor was he a licensed firearms dealer, importer, or collector, which makes his possession of the weapons unlawful under federal law.

Maxwell allegedly told authorities during an interview that he had been hired to procure firearms in Atlanta and transport them to Detroit. According to the criminal complaint, he was instructed to pick up the firearms at a storage unit and had been given a key to the unit by an unidentified individual in Canada. Maxwell reportedly admitted that this was his third time transporting large quantities of firearms, estimating that he had moved approximately 45 firearms on each of his two previous trips. He was paid around $15,000 per trip, according to the criminal complaint.

Maxwell now faces charges under Title 18 of the United States Code, Section 922(a)(9), which prohibits individuals who are not licensed firearms dealers and who are not U.S. residents from receiving or transporting firearms unless for lawful sporting purposes.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky. If convicted, Maxwell could face significant federal prison time for his involvement in the illegal firearms trafficking scheme.