Johnluke Spears, Illegal Firearm Possession, Wisconsin 2023

FITCHBURG, WI – Johnluke Spears, 32, of Middleton, Wisconsin, is headed to federal prison for 32 months after admitting to being a felon illegally possessing a firearm. Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson handed down the sentence today, citing Spears’ ties to gang activity and a prior weapons conviction.

The case stems from a November 27, 2021, shooting in the parking lot of Monkeyshines Bar in Fitchburg. A man was shot during a confrontation with another group, and gunfire was exchanged. While Spears didn’t pull the trigger, investigators quickly zeroed in on his proximity to the shooter.

A subsequent search of Spears’ residence in December 2021 turned up a loaded Glock 22 .40 caliber handgun. Ballistics evidence linked the gun to casings found at the Monkeyshines shooting scene, and Spears’ DNA was a match on the weapon. As a convicted felon, Spears was legally barred from owning any firearms.

Judge Peterson didn’t mince words during sentencing, labeling Spears a “hard core gang guy.” The judge also pointed to the weapon’s dangerous modifications – a switch capable of converting it into a machine gun and a high-capacity drum magazine holding 40-50 rounds. To add insult to injury, Spears was already on supervised release in Illinois for a prior weapons offense.

The 32-month federal sentence will run concurrently with the remaining 10 months of Spears’ Illinois sentence, meaning he’ll face a combined period of incarceration. Upon release, Spears will be subject to three years of supervised release. The investigation was a joint effort by the Fitchburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program aimed at reducing violent crime through coordinated law enforcement efforts. PSN specifically targets felons illegally possessing firearms and other gun-related offenses.

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