Canadian citizen arrested in Kentucky for smuggling 43 firearms into Detroit

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

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

During the traffic stop, the driver, who was a Lyft driver from Atlanta, said he was paid $600 in cash to transport Maxwell and another person from Atlanta to Detroit. According to the criminal complaint, officers noticed an 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 bag containing the firearms, according to the complaint.

According to the criminal complaint, six of the firearms were considered 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 and was not a licensed firearms dealer, importer or collector, making his possession of the weapons unlawful under federal law.

Maxwell allegedly told authorities during an interview that he was hired to obtain 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 was given a key to the unit by an unknown person in Canada. Maxwell reportedly admitted that this was the third time he had transported large quantities of firearms and estimated that he had transported approximately 45 firearms on each of his two previous trips. According to the criminal complaint, he was paid about $15,000 per trip.

Maxwell now faces charges under Section 922(a)(9) of Title 18 of the United States Code, which prohibits persons who are not licensed firearms dealers and are not residents of the United States from receiving or transporting firearms, unless this is done for legitimate 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 prison time for his involvement in the illegal firearms trade.