The Sconi

Jeramie J. Mason, a 40-year-old resident of Madison, Wisconsin, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon and for drug trafficking offenses. U.S. District Judge William M. Conley handed down the sentence on September 23, 2025, following Mason’s conviction by a jury after a three-day trial earlier this year.

Authorities searched Mason’s bedroom on November 3, 2023, while investigating an altercation at Warner Beach Park that had occurred two weeks prior. During the search, detectives discovered a loaded firearm in a backpack and large quantities of illegal drugs in his closet. These included over 4,300 counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl, approximately 277 grams of cocaine, and more than 240 counterfeit ecstasy pills containing methamphetamine. Forensic analysis later confirmed Mason’s DNA was present on both the firearm and the drug packaging.

At the time of these offenses, Mason was under supervision for an earlier conviction related to heroin distribution. Federal law prohibits him from possessing firearms due to his previous felony convictions.

During sentencing, Judge Conley remarked that Mason’s actions represented "an alarming escalation" of criminal behavior. He also expressed concern about the proximity of the firearm to such significant amounts of drugs given Mason's history with violent crimes.

The investigation leading to Mason's arrest involved collaboration between several agencies: Madison Police Department, Maple Bluff Police Department, and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force—with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force is composed of federal agents and officers from various state and local agencies within the Western District of Wisconsin.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys William M. Levins and Aaron Wegner prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a national initiative by the Department of Justice designed to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and reduce violent crime across communities by leveraging resources from Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

Judge Conley stated at sentencing: "Mason’s offenses were an ‘alarming escalation’ of his criminal conduct." He further noted concerns regarding "a firearm found near the large quantity of drugs," considering Mason's past violent crimes.