MADISON, WI – Alexander Jefferson-Cooper, 29, of Madison, Wisconsin, will spend the next five years in federal prison after being sentenced today for illegally possessing a firearm. U.S. District Judge William M. Conley handed down the 60-month sentence, followed by a three-year term of supervised release, effectively locking up a man already known to law enforcement.
The case stems from a shooting in Fitchburg on September 29, 2021, where Jefferson-Cooper was identified as a suspect after a dispute with a former girlfriend. The victim reported her vehicle had been shot at following an online argument. A subsequent investigation led police to a residence in Oregon, Wisconsin, on October 5, 2021, where Jefferson-Cooper was residing.
A search of the residence turned up multiple firearms, including a Walther 9mm handgun. Ballistics tests quickly confirmed the weapon was the one used in the September 29th shooting. Investigators didn’t stop there. A review of Jefferson-Cooper’s digital footprint revealed photos and videos posted to Facebook on September 7, 2021, showing him brandishing the same handgun – a clear indication of prior possession.
Jefferson-Cooper had already received a six-month jail sentence on November 29, 2022, in Dane County Case 2022CF811, related to the original shooting incident. But this federal conviction adds significant time to his incarceration, a consequence of his prior criminal history. At the time of the offense, Jefferson-Cooper was prohibited from owning firearms due to multiple felony convictions, including a 2016 conviction for keeping a place of prostitution.
The investigation was a joint effort by the Fitchburg Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus prosecuted the case. This conviction is being touted as a win for Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence.
While federal officials celebrate the sentence as a step towards safer neighborhoods, the case highlights a pattern of reckless behavior and a disregard for the law. Jefferson-Cooper’s history suggests a deeper issue than just a single illegal firearm, raising questions about the effectiveness of current sentencing guidelines and rehabilitation programs. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the impact of federal sentencing on communities across the nation.”
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