Billy Evans Sentenced

A Dubuque gas station altercation has led to a federal prison sentence for 23-year-old Billy Evans from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Evans was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for threatening a woman with a gun after she refused to assist him in committing food stamp fraud.

According to court records, Evans arrived in Dubuque on January 16, 2014, and attempted to persuade a woman at a gas station to use his food stamp card to purchase her items and give him her cash. When the woman refused, Evans yelled at her while lifting the side of his jacket to show her that he was carrying a handgun in his waistband.

The altercation was captured by the store’s surveillance camera. A second confrontation occurred after the woman left the gas station, prompting her to call 911. Police arrived and approached Evans as he walked away from the gas station. Upon seeing the officers, Evans fled on foot, discarding a loaded .25 caliber pistol during the chase.

Evans was a felon at the time, having been convicted in Wisconsin of Operating a Vehicle without Consent and Attempted Armed Robbery. He pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition as a felon on April 15, 2014. United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade sentenced Evans to 57 months’ imprisonment, a $100 special assessment, and a three-year term of supervised release.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Lightfoot and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department. Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl, with the case file number being 14-CR-1007.

Evans is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The sentence serves as a reminder of the severity of federal penalties for gun crimes and the importance of cooperation between local and federal law enforcement agencies.

The incident highlights the need for vigilance in preventing and reporting crimes, particularly those involving firearms. The Dubuque Police Department’s swift response and the subsequent federal prosecution demonstrate the commitment to public safety and the pursuit of justice in such cases.