Timothy M. O’Shea United States Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin
Timothy M. O’Shea United States Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin
Malcolm Whiteside, a 30-year-old resident of Fitchburg, Wisconsin, has been sentenced to a total of 9 ½ years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon. This decision was made by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson, following Whiteside's conviction on April 15, 2025.
The sentencing includes an 8-year term for the firearm possession charge and an additional 1 ½ years for violating federal supervised release from a prior offense. The incident leading to this conviction occurred on August 12, 2024, when Whiteside led police on a high-speed chase in Madison, which ended with him crashing into a semi-truck and attempting to flee on foot. Police found him hiding in a garden shed near the crash site.
Upon searching the vehicle Whiteside was driving, officers discovered a loaded firearm under the driver’s floormat. An analyst confirmed that Whiteside's DNA was present on several parts of the weapon. Due to his previous felony convictions, Whiteside is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The firearm was equipped with an illegal Machinegun Conversion Device that transforms semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic machineguns. Such devices are particularly hazardous due to their rapid firing capability.
In addition to the weaponry, authorities found bags containing cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl in the car. Whiteside's DNA was also detected on the bag containing fentanyl.
Judge Peterson highlighted that Whiteside posed a community threat with his actions and noted his criminal history involving firearms offenses as an aggravating factor during sentencing.
This case resulted from investigations by multiple law enforcement agencies including the City of Monona Police Department and Madison Police Department among others. It was prosecuted by Acting United States Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma and Assistant United States Attorney Colleen Lennon as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aiming to reduce violent crime through collaboration between state and federal entities.
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