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KNOXVILLE — A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment against Pioneer resident Douglas V. Whisnant, expanding the firearms-related charges against him.

Whisnant, 61, is accused of illegally being in possession of firearms as a convicted felon. The charges stem from a March 2007 raid of Whisnant’s Ditney Trail residence by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). The ATF was assisting the Scott County Sheriff’s Department and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which were searching for evidence connecting Whisnant to the disappearance of his ex-wife, Jean Johnson.

Although Whisnant was later charged with Johnson’s murder, the only charges filed immediately after the raid of his property were firearms-related charges, filed by prosecutors at both the state and federal levels. The state charges were dropped after the federal charges were filed.

Acting on a criminal complaint filed by an ATF agent, the U.S. Attorney’s Office prepared an indictment charging Whisnant with illegally being in possession of a pair of Ruger .22-caliber rifles, which were allegedly recovered from a hidden wall compartment inside Whisnant’s residence. At the time, authorities alleged that a fully-automatic machine gun was also among the weapons recovered; however, no charges had been filed in connection with that alleged recovery.

On July 16, however, U.S. Attorney J. Edgar Schmutzer successfully sought an indictment charging Whisnant with illegal possession of a Sten machine gun, in addition to the earlier charge.

Whisnant’s attorney, Alexander Brown, has since filed a motion to have the charges against his client dismissed, arguing that a federal statute barring felons from possessing firearms does not apply to possession of those guns within the felon’s own home.

On Wednesday (July 30), Whisnant was arraigned on the charges in U.S. District Court here, pleading not guilty. A trial date was set for Oct. 27 (see related story, page A6).