Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

MADISON, WIS. -- Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jelani Faulk, 21, Chicago, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William Conley to 42 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. His prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. Faulk pleaded guilty to this charge on November 13, 2017.

Faulk was arrested by Madison police officers on August 16, 2017, after discharging a gun on a Megabus parked on the University of Wisconsin campus. At the time of his arrest, officers noticed that Faulk had wounds consistent with a gunshot. After draining the bathroom tank on the bus, officers found the 9mm handgun that the Faulk attempted to hide before leaving the bus. Faulk previously had been convicted of a felony offense in Hennepin County, Minnesota.

In sentencing Faulk, Judge Conley took into account his lengthy criminal history, which included violent crimes and firearms offenses. Judge Conley also noted that Faulk’s decision to carry a loaded firearm on a public bus was extremely dangerous and could have resulted in injury or death to others.

The charge against Faulk was a result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner.

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