Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

MADISON, WIS. – Jeffrey M. Anderson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Joseph Jakubowski, 33, Janesville, Wis., was convicted today of stealing 18 firearms and two silencers from a federally-licensed firearms dealer, and with being a felon in possession of those firearms and silencers. The jury returned its verdict after less than two hours of deliberation following a two-day trial in U.S. District Court in Madison.

 

The evidence presented at trial showed that Jakubowski broke into Armageddon Supplies in Janesville on April 4, 2017, and stole 18 firearms and two silencers. As a felon, Jakubowski was prohibited from possessing firearms. Witnesses testified that blood found at the scene of the robbery was a DNA match to Jakubowski and that Jakubowski was in possession of six of the stolen firearms at the time of his arrest. In addition, Jakubowski admitted during interviews with law enforcement agents following his arrest and in his testimony at trial that he was the person who broke into Armageddon Supplies and stole the firearms and silencers.

 

Jakubowski faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each of the two counts of conviction. U.S. District Judge William M. Conley scheduled sentencing for December 20, at 1:00 p.m.

 

Acting U.S. Attorney Anderson commented that, in his more than 40 years in law enforcement, he had rarely seen better cooperation and coordination among the federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities than in the investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of Jakubowski.

 

The agencies involved in the investigation include the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Rock County Sheriff’s Department; Janesville Police Department; Beloit Police Department; U.S. Secret Service; Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation; and numerous other law enforcement agencies from Rock County and the surrounding area. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rita Rumbelow and Antonio Trillo.