Jamohn Barney, Possessing Loaded Firearm, Wisconsin 2020

In a shocking turn of events, Jamohn Barney, a 25-year-old Madison resident, has been sentenced to 66 months in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a loaded firearm as a felon.

According to court documents, Barney was arrested on August 10, 2019, after being found passed out behind the wheel of his car at a McDonald's in Monona. Officers detected an open bottle of champagne between his legs and a bag of white rock-like substance on the driver's floorboard, which they believed was crack cocaine.

A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded Taurus 9mm pistol wrapped in a blue bandana in the center console. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) traced the firearm to Lidia Molina, who had purchased it on July 12, 2019. Further investigation uncovered that Molina had made numerous straw purchases of firearms for her boyfriend, a felon.

Barney, who has a history of convictions including robbery with use of force in 2014 and battery by prisoners in 2015, was serving a term of extended supervision in Dane County Circuit Court when he committed the offense.

The case was the result of an investigation by the Monona Police Department and the ATF, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Rita M. Rumbelow handling the prosecution.

The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson and is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department's program aimed at reducing violent crime through collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and communities.

This case serves as a reminder of the severe consequences of violating federal law, particularly for felons who possess firearms. The public is urged to report any suspicious activity to the authorities.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwi/pr/felon-sentenced-66-months-possessing-loaded-firearm