SPENCER COUNTY, KY. (WDRB) -- Allegations of corruption in a small Kentucky town are running wild. WDRB's Rachel Collier investigated the claims made against Spencer County's Sheriff and what he has to say about it.  It's a story you'll see only here on WDRB.com and on WDRB News.

In a small town, word travels fast. Juicy word spreads even faster. In Spencer County, Sheriff Buddy Stump's name is spreading like wildfire. "If you don't know the facts, you don't need to discuss it, " said Stump sternly.

There is one thing he will admit he did -- he says he handed over a gun to a convicted felon, a woman who kept asking for it to be returned out of a property room.  "Each time I had the same answer. If you have a court order, we'll be more than happy to give you your weapon back to you," said Stump.

Finally, she got a court order, and he handed over the gun.

WDRB talked to the convicted felon in this case -- a woman who works near the sheriff's office in downtown Taylorsville. She claims Stump knew she was a convicted felon when he handed over her gun, but she would not comment further after ATF investigators told her not to.

"So when she came in all those times, you didn't know she was a convicted felon?" asked WDRB's Rachel Collier. "I did not know she was a convicted felon," said Stump, "I'm going by procedure at this office, we hand things out on court orders."

Shortly after handing over the gun, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms showed up.

ATF will only tell WDRB that it cannot comment on ongoing investigations. "The ATF agent actually told me, sitting here in my office, 'Sheriff I guess you can't go against a court order can you?' And I said, 'No I can't.'"

Collier asked, "Can you question a court order before you obey it? Can you call the judge and say, 'What about this person?'" "Well, I can't call the judge if I don't know. See, people can automatically assume that we can just run people to find out their criminal history.  I have no means, this sheriff's office, of running someone to find out their criminal history through NCIC because someone is here to pick up a weapon," Stump explained. 

But it is not the only case where Stump handed over a weapon to a convicted felon. In another case involving an Spencer County man, Stump says he did it again. "In that case did you know he was a convicted felon?" asked Collier. "No," Stump responded.

Oddly enough, both court orders to release handguns were signed by the same judge -- Family Court Judge John David Myles. WDRB attempted to ask Myles why he would sign the documents, but he would not comment. Stump says he has not heard from ATF agents since August.

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