MADISON, WI – A 22-year-old DeForest woman is headed to federal prison after attempting to skirt gun laws by purchasing handguns for a man already facing felony charges. Taylor A. Kratochwill-Loomis was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to one year and one day in prison for making false statements on federal firearm purchase forms – a classic “straw purchase” scheme.
The scheme unfolded last November, beginning at Top Pack Defense in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Kratochwill-Loomis attempted to buy a Glock handgun for Deontrae McIntosh, who was both underage and facing felony charges in state court, making him legally prohibited from owning a firearm. Store staff, thankfully vigilant, refused the sale, correctly suspecting the transaction was a sham. Surveillance footage captured the entire attempt.
Undeterred, Kratochwill-Loomis and McIntosh – who waited in a car outside – immediately drove to a nearby Cabela’s in Sun Prairie, where she again tried to purchase a Glock for McIntosh. This time, Sun Prairie police intervened, interrupting the second attempt and arresting both individuals. The investigation quickly revealed the coordinated effort to arm a prohibited person.
McIntosh, too, faced the music, pleading guilty to attempting to obtain a firearm through false statements. He received five years of probation on March 22, 2023. But Kratochwill-Loomis’s role as the facilitator earned her a harsher sentence. Judge Conley, during sentencing, bluntly stated, “Gun violence is out of control. Straw purchasers fuel the problem by placing firearms in the hands of prohibited persons.”
U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea emphasized the seriousness of such offenses. “Each week we learn anew—over and over and over—about the danger guns pose when they fall into the wrong hands,” O’Shea said in a statement. “Straw purchasers, those who lie to obtain firearms for others, are part of the problem. The U.S. Attorney’s Office…has zero tolerance for straw purchasers.”
The investigation was a joint effort by the Sun Prairie Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney O’Shea. This conviction serves as a warning: attempting to bypass gun laws will be met with federal prosecution and, increasingly, significant prison time.
Related Federal Cases
- Isaiah Phillips, Straw Purchase of Firearms, Madison WI, 2023 · Wisconsin
- Shannon Maurice Johnson, Straw Purchase Scheme, IA 2018 · Illinois
- Shawna Tantillo, Straw Purchase, Wisconsin 2024 · Wisconsin
- McClendon Jailed for Illegal Gun Possession, Madison WI, 2023 · Illinois
- Charles Lewis Madison Jr. Sentenced to 6.5 Years for Gun and Cocain… · Florida
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