Former Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Daniel Muir was booked into the Pulaski County Jail on yesterday after federal prosecutors unsealed a May indictment accusing him of lying to a licensed firearms dealer while trying to buy a gun. The arrest lands in the middle of Muir's ongoing Indiana state case, in which he and his wife, Kristin Muir, face felony charges tied to the alleged abuse of their teenage son. He was taken into custody hours after appearing on a religious livestream tied to his congregation.
According to WTHR, a northern Indiana magistrate judge ordered the indictment against Muir unsealed once he was taken into custody on August 20. Federal prosecutors charged him with making a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer and with making a false or fictitious statement on an ATF Form 4473 while attempting to acquire a firearm. The case had remained sealed for nearly three months after it was originally handed down in May, according to the outlet's reporting, as reported by IndyStar. The U.S. Marshals Office declined to say where Muir is currently being held.
Per those false-statement statutes, 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(6) and § 924, knowingly lying on Form 4473 to a federally licensed dealer is a felony that can carry up to 10 years in prison and fines as high as $250,000, according to Leppard Law. The form requires buyers to attest to their legal eligibility before a dealer can run a background check. It remains unclear exactly what false statement prosecutors allege Muir made on the form.
A Pending State Case That Just Got More Complicated
Muir's federal arrest immediately collided with his pending Cass County prosecution. IndyStar reports that he and Kristin Muir were scheduled to stand trial together on September 28, but that date must now be pushed back because of his federal custody, per the station's report. Prosecutors in Cass County are expected to work with defense attorneys to set a new timeline.
Muir already faced a string of charges in Cass County tied to the alleged abuse and 2024 disappearance of his teenage son, Bryson. In October 2025, Special Judge Crystal Kocher granted prosecutors' request to add two Level 5 felony counts against Muir — battery resulting in serious bodily injury and obstruction of justice — on top of his original 2024 charges of Level 6 felony obstruction and a Class A misdemeanor domestic battery count, according to reporting from Giant FM. Both obstruction of justice and battery resulting in serious bodily injury are felonies. A Level 5 felony conviction in Indiana carries an advisory sentence of three years, with a statutory range of one to six years and fines up to $10,000, court records show.
Daniel and Kristin Muir were originally arrested at their home in July 2024, and IndyStar reports they were taken into custody together again this week. Christopher Stidham, Muir's attorney in the Cass County case, could not be reached for comment, according to the outlet.
The 2024 Disappearance That First Drew Scrutiny
Muir first made headlines two years ago over the alleged abuse and disappearance of Bryson, who went missing in 2024 before being found and taken into the custody of Indiana's Department of Child Services. Hoodline previously reported on the Indiana State Police raid that led to the couple's initial arrest. According to a 2024 probable cause affidavit cited by Newsweek, investigators obtained a recorded phone call in which Muir admitted to beating Bryson with a water hose and said that under their religious homeland's law, the boy would have been put to death. The recording was reportedly provided to investigators by Muir's brother-in-law.
Muir has been linked to Straitway Truth Ministry, a Tennessee-based Hebrew Israelite group founded by Charles Dowell Jr. that practices communal living and biblical literalism, and to its Straitway Indiana-Goshen chapter. Per Wikipedia, the group drew national scrutiny after Sports Illustrated published a 2020 investigation in which multiple former members described it as a cult; the organization runs roughly a dozen chapters nationwide, including the Logansport, Indiana property connected to Muir. Wikipedia's profile of Muir notes he was introduced to the ministry by former Green Bay Packers teammate Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, who joined the group and went on to recruit other former professional athletes.
From Super Bowl Roster to Federal Custody
Muir played defensive tackle in the NFL for seven seasons, from 2007 to 2013, including a stint with the Indianapolis Colts from 2008 to 2012. According to NFL.com, he recorded 106 career tackles and 1.5 sacks across 56 regular-season games, appearing in 38 games with the Colts, starting 26 of them, and playing in Super Bowl XLIV. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Kent State in 2007.
IndyStar reports the story will be updated as more information becomes available.
