Lincoln man gets over 14 years in prison on gun and meth charges

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A Lincoln man will spend over 14 years in prison on gun and meth charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Chase Bass, 28, was sentenced last Wednesday to 170 months in prison after being convicted of possessing meth with the intent to distribute and possessing a gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

On July 8, 2021, Lincoln Police officers were investigating a shooting when they found a cellphone conversation in which Bass is heard saying he gave a gun to a convicted felon.

The conversation led officers to begin an investigation into Bass and his girlfriend at the time, Kylie Thompson.

Investigators found records showing that Thompson had bought 12 handguns between March 18 and July 31, 2021, across Lancaster County, the attorney’s office said.

Some of those guns were then transferred to Bass, who was a felon and not permitted to own firearms.

At the time, Bass was serving a term of post-release supervision after a prison sentence, according to the attorney’s office.

On July 16, 2021, Bass was arrested in Cass County on an outstanding warrant for violating his post-release supervision.

Bass had been in possession of meth, at least two “functioning” firearms, cash, ammunition, drug ledgers, phones, gun magazines, pipes and a scale.

Investigators also found six empty gun boxes, each of them matching up with the firearm purchases she made in Lincoln, the attorney’s office said.

Authorities then found a notebook describing the firearms, a backpack containing ammo and a pistol, and a safe that held another handgun.

Thompson was present at the time but was not arrested, the attorney’s office said.

Bass bonded out of jail before being arrested again in Lincoln on Sept. 28, 2021, the attorney’s office said.

At the time of the arrest, Bass had 17 grams of meth, a handgun, ammo, a drug ledger and scales, according to the attorney’s office.

After his prison sentence, Bass will serve four years on supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

Thompson was charged in federal court in connection with the investigation, the attorney’s office said.

She pleaded guilty to transferring a firearm to a felon on Aug. 2 and is set to be sentenced on Jan. 24.