Deonte L. Turner, a 32-year-old resident of Madison, Wisconsin, received a 63-month federal prison sentence for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon. Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson delivered the sentence following Turner's guilty plea on September 4, 2024. The sentence includes three years of supervised release.
In September 2023, law enforcement discovered a loaded Sig Sauer handgun with an extended magazine in a parked vehicle's backpack. Initially denying any connection to the vehicle or the backpack, Turner was later identified through surveillance footage and DNA testing. At the time of this incident, he was already on supervised release for a similar offense in 2020.
Judge Peterson expressed disappointment over Turner's failure to utilize federal probation resources to improve his life and noted the recurring nature of his crime. The judge highlighted the risks posed by Turner's illegal possession of firearms, which endangered both his family and the community, especially given that he was involved in drug dealing at the time.
The investigation into Turner's case involved collaboration between multiple agencies, including the Madison Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. This task force comprises federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from various local law enforcement agencies.
United States Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Stelljes prosecuted this case under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative by the U.S. Justice Department aimed at reducing violent crime through coordinated efforts among state and federal prosecutors and law enforcement.
