CLEVELAND, Ohio - A former Mahoning County sheriff's deputy accused of concealing a crime is scheduled to enter a plea next week in federal court.

Kip Danks, who also previously served with the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, is slated for a change of plea hearing on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Cleveland.

Danks faces one count of misprision of a felony, stemming from an alleged incident in January 2023. Federal court records indicate the charge is related to allegations that Danks concealed information about a crime.

According to an affidavit, investigators executing a search warrant on a suspect, Hure Orr, who was reportedly operating a drug organization in the Youngstown area, uncovered a phone call between Danks and Orr through a court-authorized wiretap.

During that conversation, Orr allegedly told Danks about a firearm found during the search. The affidavit claims Danks then advised Orr on how to provide false information to investigators to avoid charges for weapons violations.

The affidavit states that Danks, with over two decades of law enforcement experience, knew Orr, a convicted felon, was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Despite receiving what investigators described as a "full, unsolicited confession" from Orr, Danks allegedly offered advice to hinder law enforcement's efforts.

Investigators also allege Danks told Orr, "Just don't use the phones," which they believe was an attempt to prevent law enforcement from gathering further evidence through phone interceptions.

The affidavit further details subsequent phone calls, including one between Orr and another individual where Orr allegedly repeated Danks' advice to "stay off your phone."

Investigators believe another phone call between Danks and the third person was an attempt by Danks to gain sensitive information about the investigation and to deflect attention from Orr.

In a later alleged call between Danks and Orr, Orr reportedly confirmed the other person was the focus of the investigation and that law enforcement had not linked the firearm to him. The affidavit includes a transcript of an exchange where Danks allegedly advised Orr not to answer questions about what was in a car.

The affidavit also alleges that Orr, who initially agreed to a recorded phone call with Danks, warned Danks via an unmonitored line.

When interviewed in August 2023, Danks reportedly denied advising Orr to stay off the phone. However, Orr allegedly told investigators he purchased a new phone the day after his call with Danks, which investigators believe was a direct result of Danks' alleged advice.

In January, Orr was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty to one federal count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.  The 61-year-old is serving time at a federal prison in Michigan.