Ramogi Carr, Possession of Fully Automatic Machinegun, Wisconsin 2024

MADISON, WI – Ramogi Carr, 22, of Madison, is headed back to federal prison after a judge slammed him with a 54-month sentence for possessing an illegal firearm – while already on federal supervision for a previous gun crime. The sentence was handed down yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley, marking an escalation in Carr’s disregard for the law.

This isn’t Carr’s first rodeo. Back in March of 2021, he received a 15-month federal prison term and three years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He began his supervised release in September 2021, but things quickly soured. A warrant was issued for his arrest in September 2022 after he was charged with misdemeanor resisting or obstructing an officer in Dane County Circuit Court – a clear violation of his release conditions.

The latest trouble began May 2, 2023, when law enforcement spotted Carr getting into a vehicle in McFarland. When officers attempted to arrest him after the vehicle pulled into a Madison parking lot, Carr bolted. He didn’t get far. A subsequent search revealed a loaded handgun tucked into his pants, equipped with a high-capacity 30-round magazine. But the real kicker? The firearm had been fitted with a “switch” – an illegal auto sear – converting it into a fully automatic machinegun.

“A switch,” according to federal investigators, renders a handgun capable of firing continuously with a single pull of the trigger, instantly transforming it into a weapon far more dangerous and illegal than a standard semi-automatic pistol. Judge Conley didn’t mince words, noting the escalating nature of Carr’s offenses and emphasizing the severe threat he posed to the community by carrying such a weapon.

The bust was the result of a joint investigation led by the Madison Police Department, Fitchburg Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma handled the prosecution. This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program focused on reducing violent crime by coordinating federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts, specifically targeting felons illegally possessing firearms.

Carr’s case serves as a stark reminder that repeat offenders, especially those playing fast and loose with firearms, will face increasingly harsh consequences. The streets of Madison are a little safer today with Carr behind bars, but the question remains: will this finally be enough to steer him away from a life of crime?

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