A Milwaukee man has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for unlawful possession of firearms after being previously adjudicated as a mental defective. Alexander Laykovich, 27, received his sentence from U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell on Friday.
Court records show that Laykovich was stopped by a Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Deputy in Stanford, Kentucky, on January 25, 2024. At the time, he was traveling from Wisconsin and intended to visit Fort Knox. During the stop, authorities found him wearing body armor and a recording device. He also had knives, a gas canister, and eight firearms—six of which were semiautomatic weapons capable of accepting large capacity magazines—along with ammunition.
Further searches of Laykovich’s storage unit and delivery boxes in Wisconsin uncovered an additional 15 firearms as well as parts for improvised explosive devices and grenades.
In January 2023, Laykovich was entered into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System after being adjudicated as a mental defective, resulting in a lifetime prohibition from purchasing firearms. He acknowledged knowing about this prohibition. Some of the firearms found during his arrest had been purchased before the 2023 ban; others were bought by his girlfriend after that date.
Under federal law, Laykovich must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for release. After completing his prison term, he will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
“Illegal firearm possession poses a serious threat to the safety of our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Paul McCaffrey. “This case reflects the strong collaboration between our office and our federal, state, and local partners, and we are grateful for their commitment to removing illegal firearms from our streets and holding offenders accountable under the law.”
“As a result of law enforcement’s swift actions, a potential act of violence against one of our military installations was thwarted and a large supply of illegally purchased firearms was removed from the hands of a dangerous individual. With this sentence, the defendant has been held accountable for his blatant disregard of the law,” said Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Louisville Field Office. “As always, FBI Louisville and our partners across the Commonwealth are committed to protecting the communities we serve and encourage the public to remain vigilant and immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.”
The announcement came jointly from Acting U.S. Attorney McCaffrey; FBI Special Agent in Charge Olson; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge with ATF Louisville Field Division; Col. Phillip J. Burnett Jr., Commissioner of Kentucky State Police; and Lincoln County Sheriff Shawn Hines.
The investigation involved cooperation among multiple agencies including the FBI, ATF, Kentucky State Police (KSP), and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Dieruf prosecuted the case.
