Zendel Rolack, Illegal Possession of Firearms, Wisconsin 2023

MADISON, WI – A Madison man with a history of violent crime will spend the next six years in federal prison after being sentenced for illegally possessing firearms. Zendel Rolack, 26, received a 72-month sentence from U.S. District Judge William M. Conley on Thursday, followed by a three-year term of supervised release. The case stems from a late 2021 investigation into a shooting and a subsequent raid on a residence in Oregon, Wisconsin.

The Fitchburg Police Department initiated the investigation following a shooting on September 29, 2021. A search warrant executed at a residence on October 5, 2021, led to the arrest of Rolack and Alexander Jefferson-Cooper, the suspected shooter. Inside Rolack’s bedroom, officers uncovered a cache of firearms, ammunition, magazines, and controlled substances. Forensic analysis confirmed Rolack’s DNA on three of the recovered guns and packaging from the drugs.

Evidence presented to the court showed photos on Rolack’s phone depicting him with additional firearms, along with text messages indicating involvement in drug distribution. Crucially, one of the recovered firearms was identified as the weapon used in the September 29th shooting. Rolack’s criminal history played a significant role in the sentencing; he was already prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions – armed robbery in 2016 and strangulation and battery in 2019.

Judge Conley, in handing down the sentence, emphasized the seriousness of Rolack’s repeated offenses and his failure to respond to previous attempts at probation. The judge stated a “substantial sentence of imprisonment” was necessary given the defendant’s pattern of gun-related and violent crimes. Jefferson-Cooper, the alleged shooter, received a comparatively lenient six-month jail sentence in Dane County court and a 60-month federal prison term for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Fitchburg Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus led the prosecution. The case was brought under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program focused on reducing violent crime by coordinating federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts.

The sentencing of Rolack underscores the federal commitment to targeting individuals who illegally possess firearms, particularly those with prior convictions for violent offenses. The PSN program aims to disrupt the cycle of gun violence by removing dangerous individuals from the streets and holding them accountable for their actions. While Jefferson-Cooper received a lighter sentence, authorities hope the combined penalties will deter further gun violence in the Madison area.

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