Leo Lacey, 48, of Eau Claire, was sentenced on March 27 to 64 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, according to Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson handed down the sentence after Lacey pleaded guilty on January 5. Following his prison term, Lacey will serve three years of supervised release.
Lacey was prohibited from owning firearms due to prior felony convictions. Authorities said that on May 21 last year, he arranged for codefendant Garrett Waldinger to make an illegal straw purchase of a Taurus 9mm handgun on his behalf. The following day, Lacey allegedly threatened another individual with the weapon.
After this incident was reported, police attempted a traffic stop on May 23. According to officials, Lacey initially stopped but then fled at high speed before crashing into another vehicle and fleeing on foot. Officers later found him and recovered the handgun purchased by Waldinger.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson said that “Lacey is dangerous,” adding that “the primary goal of the sentence in this case was to protect the public.” Waldinger has also pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing on April 1.
The investigation involved the Eau Claire Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force—a group including federal agents from ATF as well as state and local officers across western Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted the case.
Federal prosecutions such as this are part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at fighting illegal immigration and violent crime through efforts coordinated with Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
