Kenneth J. Lawson, Armed Robbery, Wisconsin 2020

MADISON, WIS. – In a shocking display of brutality, Kenneth J. Lawson, 32, of La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison for armed robbery and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. This prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release.

Lawson pled guilty to these charges on May 17, 2021. The disturbing incident occurred on June 21, 2020, when Lawson and a female associate robbed the occupants of a La Crosse apartment, leaving the victims with severe injuries.

According to court documents, Lawson carried a loaded 9mm handgun during the robbery. When the female resident opened the door, Lawson grabbed her by the throat, hit her in the face, and pushed her to the ground. He then attacked the male occupant, punching him multiple times in the face.

During the altercation, Lawson’s gun fell from his waistband to the floor. The male victim struggled with Lawson over the gun, eventually returning it to him after ensuring it was unloaded. Once Lawson regained possession of the gun, he and the female associate fled the apartment, leaving behind his cellphone and a loaded gun magazine.

La Crosse Police Department officers and the victims identified Lawson after searching the cell phone he’d dropped during the attack and finding his pictures on his Instagram account. The handgun used in the robbery was later located by La Crosse police officers in the apartment where Lawson lived.

At the time of the robbery, Lawson was on Minnesota state supervision, with multiple prior felony convictions and a prohibition on possessing a firearm. In sentencing Lawson, U.S. District Judge William M. Conley noted the severity of the offense and Lawson’s long history of violence.

The charges against Lawson were the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the La Crosse County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Anderson handled the prosecution of the case.

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