FRANKFORT, Ky. (Jan. 15, 2026) – Attorney General Russell Coleman announced today action by the Attorney General’s Violent Crime Reduction Team (VRT) will put another convicted felon back behind bars. The Louisville-based VRT is part of the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Unit, which has secured nearly 140 criminal indictments since its 2024 inception.
Antoine Darby, 44, pleaded guilty to one charge of Possession of a Handgun by a Convicted Felon (Class C Felony), as well as failure to give proper traffic signal. During a 2025 traffic stop, officers found Darby with a handgun in his lap. As part of the plea agreement, Darby, who had two previous felony convictions, received a five-year sentence.
“Every day our Office is working hand in hand with Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina Whethers, LMPD and other partners to take guns and criminals off our streets,” said Attorney General Coleman. “We’re making it clear in Louisville: if you carry a firearm as a convicted felon, we’re sending you back to prison."
The Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) investigated the case. Assistant Attorney General Critt Cunnigham prosecuted the case on behalf of the Commonwealth.
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Background
In October 2024, Attorney General Coleman joined Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina D. Whethers, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell, LMPD Chief Paul Humphrey and Jefferson County Circuit Court Clerk David L. Nicholson to announce the Attorney General’s Violent Crime Reduction Team, a first-of-its-kind collaboration among their offices to combat violent crime in Louisville.
General Coleman established a new Attorney General’s Office location in downtown Louisville, now staffed by three prosecutors and a detective. The downtown office space used by the VCRT was secured in partnership with the Mayor’s Office and Jefferson Circuit Court Clerk Nicholson. The team is collaborating with Commonwealth’s Attorney Whethers’ Office to be assigned and prosecute cases. Two of the prosecutors have also been sworn in as Special Assistant United States Attorneys, allowing them to bring the full force of both the state and federal governments against criminals to protect Kentucky families.
According to an agreement between the Attorney General and the Commonwealth’s Attorney, the dedicated prosecutors and investigators from the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Unit and the Department of Criminal Investigations (DCI) will handle select cases involving nonfatal shootings, convicted felons in possession of a firearm, Louisville’s Group Violence Intervention Program (GVI) and the Prohibited Firearms Possessor program (PFP).