LINCOLN, Neb. -- A Lincoln woman was sentenced for transferring firearms to a felon who was serving his post-release supervision. 

U.S. Attorney Steven Russell said 25-year-old Kylie Thompson, of Lincoln, was sentenced Tuesday to a term of 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release for transferring firearms to a felon, also known as a straw purchase.

According to court documents, while investigating a shooting that happened in Lincoln on July 8, 2021, Lincoln Police Department investigators located a cell phone conversation in which Thompson’s boyfriend, Chase Bass, talked about providing a gun to a convicted felon. That led to a firearms and narcotics investigation involving Thompson making straw purchases of firearms for Bass.

Officials said investigators obtained firearms purchase records showing that Thompson bought 12 handguns between March 18 and July 15, 2021, at various locations in Lancaster County, Nebraska. After purchasing these firearms, Thompson transferred some of these firearms to Bass who was a felon, and was not able to possess firearms. Bass was also serving a term of post-release supervision, following a prison sentence, as a result of a Lancaster County conviction for possession of a short shotgun.

Authorities said on July 16, 2021, Bass was arrested in Cass County on an outstanding warrant for violating his post-release supervision. Thompson was also present, but she was not arrested at that time. Bass was in possession of a distribution amount of meth baggies containing residue, at least two functioning firearms, $1,347 cash, ammunition, drug ledgers, phones, gun magazines, pipes, and a scale.

Officials said they found six empty gun boxes in Thompson’s car. Bass was in the passenger seat of this car when arrested. The gun boxes in the car matched up with six of the firearm purchases Thompson had made in Lincoln between March 18 and July 31, 2021. Bass had a notebook in his possession containing his hand-written notes describing the firearms that were previously in the boxes found in the car. Bass was carrying a backpack containing ammunition and a pistol Thompson had purchased the day before at a Lincoln pawn shop. Bass also had keys to a safe located in Thompson’s car. Inside the safe investigators found a handgun with 12 rounds in the magazine. The box for this gun was found in the trunk and was the same handgun Thompson had purchased at a gun store in Lancaster County on July 1, 2021.

Authorities said during the course of this investigation, investigators recovered three of the 12 firearms purchased by Thompson. Two of the three recovered were located in Bass’s belongings, while the third was recovered in an alleyway in downtown Lincoln on July 14, 2021. Thompson was arrested for making straw purchases of firearms on September 29, 2021.

According to court documents, following his arrest, Bass bonded out of jail. Bass was again arrested in Lincoln on September 28, 2021, after being federally indicted in this case. At that time Bass possessed at least 17 grams of actual methamphetamine, a handgun, ammunition, baggies, a drug ledger, and scales.

Authorities said a forensic scientist at the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Lab confirmed the presence of at least 8 grams of actual methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in the suspected methamphetamine seized from Bass on July 16, 2021, and at least 17 grams of actual methamphetamine seized from Bass on September 28, 2021.

Officials said on November 29, 2022, Bass was sentenced to a term of over 14 years in prison following his convictions for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. After he completes his prison sentence, Bass will also serve four years on supervised release.

This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska State Patrol, and the FBI.