Former Boise CEO federally indicted after hung jury last year

A federal grand jury indicted a Boise man on April 11 after his trial last year ended with a hung jury on an accusation of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.

Kenneth Frank Morehouse, 58, was initially charged in Ada County after prosecutors accused him of pointing a weapon at an Ada County sheriff’s deputy on Feb. 22, 2016. The deputy then shot Morehouse in the shoulder at the home on the 6200 block of West Long Branch Lane.

Prosecutors claimed Morehouse was attempting “suicide by cop.” Ada County prosecutors had filed new charges for a retrial after the jury was deadlocked on the case in December.

But, when Morehouse was incited for illegal possession of a firearm in federal court, the county dropped its charges.

Because Morehouse was convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence in 2015, he cannot legally own a firearm. But, the day of the shooting, police say he was carrying a .357 caliber revolver, according to court documents.

Morehouse is out on a release and awaits trial.

He once served as president and chief executive officer of the MDU Resources Group Inc.’s utility group companies, including Intermountain Gas Co. in Boise. Morehouse resigned from the company in January 2015, shortly after domestic violence charges were filed.

This story was originally published April 17, 2017 at 8:27 PM with the headline "Former Boise CEO federally indicted after hung jury last year."