May X. Kong, a 42-year-old resident of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, has been sentenced to seven and a half years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley and will be followed by three years of supervised release. Kong entered a guilty plea to the charge on May 7, 2025.
The incident occurred on July 4, 2024, when Eau Claire police stopped a vehicle in which Kong was a passenger after it left the residence of an individual known for methamphetamine distribution. Officers discovered a loaded SCCY CPX-2 9mm handgun in the vehicle’s center console and found a small quantity of methamphetamine. Kong admitted ownership of the firearm during questioning by police. Due to previous felony convictions, she is legally barred from possessing firearms.
At sentencing, Judge Conley emphasized that this was Kong’s third conviction for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon and noted concern over her return to criminal activity shortly after being released from state prison.
The investigation leading to these charges involved multiple agencies: the West Central Drug Task Force, Eau Claire Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, Clark County Sheriff’s Department, and assistance from the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. The latter includes federal agents from ATF along with task force officers from various state and local agencies within the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Levins prosecuted the case.
According to Acting United States Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma: “Federal criminal cases involving firearms are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.” He added: “Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).”
