The Sconi

Joseph Harrison, a 36-year-old resident of Madison, Wisconsin, has been sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley after Harrison pleaded guilty on June 11, 2025.

The incident occurred on April 9, 2024, when Harrison pointed a loaded handgun at a woman during an argument and threatened to shoot her. He then left the scene in another woman's car. At the time, Harrison was under state supervision for a previous offense and was being monitored via GPS. Law enforcement officers used this monitoring to locate and arrest him. A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded Beretta .22 caliber handgun under the seat where Harrison had been sitting. Due to his prior felony convictions, Harrison is legally barred from owning or possessing firearms.

During sentencing, Judge Conley commented on Harrison's criminal history: "Harrison had spent approximately 17 years in and out of jail or prison and was on a 'disastrous path for everyone, society most of all.'" Judge Conley also noted Harrison's pattern of violent behavior toward women and determined that "a substantial sentence of 6 ½ years was necessary to protect the public."

The investigation into the case was conducted by the La Crosse Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. The task force includes federal agents from ATF along with state and local law enforcement officers from across the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Ginsberg, Jennifer Remington, and Corey Stephan prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative led by the Department of Justice that focuses resources on combating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and addressing violent crime through coordinated efforts such as OCDETF (Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces) and Project Safe Neighborhoods.