Eau Claire Man Sentenced to 4 Years for Illegally Possessing Firearm

Nathaniel Larson, 26, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, has been handed a 4-year prison sentence for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition. The sentence was handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson in a federal court in Madison, Wisconsin.

Larson’s downfall began on July 11, 2023, when he was stopped by an Eau Claire police officer for a traffic violation. The officer’s suspicions were raised during the stop, and Larson consented to a search of his vehicle. Inside, the officer found a small bag of heroin and fentanyl in Larson’s pants pocket.

A subsequent search of the car turned up a loaded Taurus 9 mm handgun and an extra loaded magazine. Larson is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a previous felony conviction for second-degree recklessly endangering safety. This conviction automatically bars him from owning guns.

Larson pleaded guilty to the charge on February 8, 2024. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Peterson noted that Larson’s behavior has been ‘out of control’ and that a long sentence was necessary to protect the community.

Larson was also ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release following his prison term. The charge against Larson was the result of an investigation conducted by the Eau Claire Police Department, West Central Drug Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted the case. This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.