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Eau Claire Man Sentenced to 64 Months in Prison for Firearm Possession
In a move to protect the public, Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson sentenced Leo Lacey, 48, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to 64 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Lacey pleaded guilty to this charge on January 5, 2026.
Lacey is prohibited from legally possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior felony convictions. On May 21, 2025, Lacey arranged for codefendant Garrett Waldinger to illegally straw purchase a Taurus 9mm handgun for Lacey. The next day, an individual reported that Lacey had threatened him with a handgun.
Following the reported gun offense, an Eau Claire police officer attempted a traffic stop on Lacey on May 23, 2025. Lacey initially pulled over but then fled, leading police on a high-speed chase before ultimately crashing into another vehicle and fleeing from the vehicle on foot. Officers eventually located Lacey and recovered the handgun Waldinger had purchased for him.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case, which was the result of an investigation conducted by the Eau Claire Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. The task force is comprised of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin.
At the sentencing, Judge Peterson emphasized that Lacey poses a danger to the public, and that the primary goal of the sentence in this case was to protect the community. Lacey will also serve a 3-year term of supervised release following his prison term.
The charges against Lacey and codefendant Garrett Waldinger were part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at repelling the invasion of illegal immigration, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime.
Codefendant Garrett Waldinger pleaded guilty to straw purchasing the firearm and is scheduled for sentencing on April 1, 2026. The case is part of Operation Take Back America, which streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Key Facts
- State: Wisconsin
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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