La Crosse Felon Gets 5-Year Sentence for Gun Possession

LA CROSSE, WIS. – A La Crosse man has been handed a five-year federal prison sentence after being caught with a loaded firearm and drugs.

Jayvon E. Jones-Shields, 24, pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm as a convicted felon on March 19, 2024. The charge came after officers arrested Jones-Shields on October 18, 2023, for an active warrant in La Crosse.

During the arrest, police found a .22 caliber Charter Arms revolver loaded with ammunition, oxycodone pills, counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl, and cocaine in Jones-Shields’ possession. His right to possess firearms was revoked due to multiple felony convictions in Olmsted County, Minnesota.

The sentence is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a U.S. Justice Department initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through coordinated efforts between state and federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Levins prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the La Crosse Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Jones-Shields’ conviction underscores the ongoing efforts to combat gun crime and drug trafficking in the community.