Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Former Utility Executive of Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Charge
BOISE – Kenneth Frank Morehouse, 59, formerly CEO of Intermountain Gas, pleaded guilty on June 21, 2017, in United States District Court to unlawful possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced.
According to the plea agreement, Morehouse was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a 2015 conviction in Ada County District Court for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. On February 22, 2016, Ada County Sheriff’s deputies were called to Morehouse’s residence by his wife, who feared that Morehouse was suicidal. A deputy encountered Morehouse in his home holding a firearm.
Sentencing is set for September 13, 2017, before Senior U.S. District Edward J. Lodge. Unlawful possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release up to three years, and a $100 special assessment. As part of his plea, Morehouse also agreed to forfeit the firearm in question.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and the Ada County Sheriff’s Office. It was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2001 by the Department of Justice to combat gun violence in the United States. Project Safe Neighborhoods marshals federal, state, and local resources to target and prosecute those who commit gun crimes. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit https://www.bja.gov.