Demetrius Howard, a 34-year-old resident of Menomonie, Wisconsin, was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon. The sentence was handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson and will be followed by three years of supervised release. Howard had previously pleaded guilty to the charge on June 24, 2025.
The incident leading to Howard’s arrest occurred on December 20, 2024, when a Dunn County Sheriff’s Office deputy stopped his vehicle for speeding. During the stop, the deputy searched the vehicle and discovered a bag containing a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun in the backseat. According to authorities, Howard told the deputy that he would have fled if his child had not been present in the car and mentioned there could have been a “shootout.” He initially claimed he found the gun by a dumpster and intended to dispose of it in water.
Howard has a previous state conviction for being party to armed robbery, which prohibits him from legally possessing firearms or ammunition.
During sentencing, Judge Peterson expressed doubt about Howard’s story regarding how he obtained the firearm. “Howard then admitted that was not true and that he actively sought out the gun due to threats he was receiving.” Judge Peterson emphasized that Howard was prohibited from possessing firearms and noted that committing this offense while under supervision made it more serious.
The investigation into this case involved cooperation between the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. The task force includes federal agents from ATF along with officers from state and local agencies across the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted the case.
Federal cases involving firearms such as this are part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative designed to use Department of Justice resources against illegal immigration, cartels, transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and violent crime. The operation coordinates efforts from programs like Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
