Ness County Sheriff Facing Federal Charges

A Kansas sheriff  is facing federal charges.

According to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister’s office, Ness County Sheriff Bryan Whipple  is charged with three counts of wire fraud and one count of selling a firearm to a convicted felon.

The indictment alleges the 47-year-old Whipple faxed reports to the Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training (CPOST) falsely certifying that deputies had received training. The indictment also alleges he sold a .45 caliber pistol and ammunition to a man he knew was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a prior felony conviction.

The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2013, 2016 and 2017.

If convicted, Whipple faces up to 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each wire fraud count and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett is prosecuting.