Jontrae Larsen, a 24-year-old from Madison, Wisconsin, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The sentence was handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson following Larsen’s guilty plea on September 11, 2025.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin, Larsen was apprehended after fleeing the scene of a vehicle crash on January 6, 2024. Law enforcement officers located him and recovered a Glock 17 handgun with an extended magazine loaded with 27 rounds, including one in the chamber. The weapon also had an illegal machinegun conversion device attached. Investigators found Larsen’s DNA on several parts of the gun and uncovered additional evidence of his possession of the firearm on his phone.
A machinegun conversion device is designed to turn a semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic weapon. Such devices are illegal and make firearms capable of firing at extremely high rates—up to 50 rounds in four seconds—which increases risks even for experienced users.
Larsen had previously been convicted at the state level for first degree recklessly endangering safety and was therefore barred from owning firearms or ammunition due to his felony status.
During sentencing, Judge Peterson commented: "He expressed disappointment that Larsen returned to criminal behavior so soon after he was released from state prison, and he attributed Larsen’s return to crime to negative social influences and a lack of maturity." Judge Peterson also noted concerns about "Larsen’s history of impulsive decisions, terrible judgment, and substance abuse," stating that "a substantial sentence was also warranted given the automatic firing capacity of the firearm."
The investigation leading to these charges involved collaboration between the Madison Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force—a partnership consisting of federal agents from ATF alongside state and local law enforcement throughout western Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ayala prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at combating violent crime by targeting illegal firearms offenses as well as broader threats such as drug trafficking organizations and transnational criminal groups.
