Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on October 1, 2020, United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller sentenced Edward B. Burgess (28) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to 174 months in prison for Arson and Hobbs Act Armed Robbery. Burgess pled guilty to one count of Arson, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(i), on August 28, 2019. Burgess pled guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951(a), and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c), on October 18, 2019.

According to court records, on December 7, 2018, after a domestic violence incident, Burgess set fire to a rental unit he lived in with his girlfriend and the mother of his children. Luckily, nobody was home at the time of the fire, but the residence was completely destroyed. Four months later, in April 2019, Burgess brandished a firearm during a robbery of a Metro PCS store in the city of Milwaukee.

At sentencing, Judge Stadtmueller noted that the violence exhibited by Burgess was “unacceptable.” He stated that the crimes carried a significant risk of death and that they were among the “most serious” crimes that are brought before the Court. Judge Stadtmueller further noted that the extremely violent nature of Burgess’s crimes warranted a significant period of incarceration.

“Burgess’s violent disregard for others means he will spend over a decade in federal prison. This case underscores the Justice Department’s commitment to combat the extreme levels of violent crime that plague Milwaukee,” said U.S. Attorney Krueger.

“Arson is a violent and serious crime and we appreciate the investigative partnership with the Milwaukee Police Department in investigating this case as well as the United States Attorney’s office for their diligence in prosecuting this individual,” remarked ATF Special Agent in Charge Kristen de Tineo of the Chicago Field Division. 

The arson case was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The armed robbery case was investigated by the FBI's Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force, the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Investigators, and the Milwaukee Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie F. Stewart, Farris Martini, and Benjamin Taibleson.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

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