Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

MADISON, Wis. — Timothy M. O’Shea, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Ramogi Carr, 22, Madison, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 54 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon and while under federal supervision. Carr pleaded guilty to the firearm charge on Jan. 10.

On March 16, 2021, Carr received a sentence of 15 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon. Carr started his term of supervised release on Sept. 13, 2021, and on Sept. 6, 2022, a warrant was issued for the Carr’s arrest, alleging that he violated the conditions of his supervised release after he was charged in Dane County Circuit Court with misdemeanor resisting or obstructing an officer.

On May 2, 2023, law enforcement officers located Carr in McFarland, as he and another individual were getting into a vehicle. Officers attempted to arrest Carr when the vehicle pulled into a parking lot in Madison, but Carr fled on foot. Officers caught up to Carr and took him into custody. While searching Carr incident to arrest, officers found a loaded handgun with a 30-round extended magazine and a “switch” inside of Carr’s pants. The “switch,” also known as an auto sear, converted the handgun from semi-automatic to fully automatic, making the firearm illegal to possess regardless of Carr’s felony status.

At sentencing, Judge Conley noted that Carr’s criminal behavior appeared to be escalating. Judge Conley also stressed the danger that Carr posed to the community when he chose to carry a firearm that was converted to a fully automatic machinegun.

The charge against Carr was the result of an investigation conducted 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 U.S. prosecuted this case.

This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.