Willmar Man Sentenced For Illegal Cache Of Machine Guns, Pipe Bombs, Silencers

United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the sentencing of CHAD LEE MONSON, 46, for illegally possessing machine guns, pipe bombs, and silencers. MONSON, who pleaded guilty on August 16, 2018, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by Judge Joan N. Ericksen to 36 months in prison.

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, on January 30, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at MONSON’S residence in Willmar, Minnesota. Inside the residence, officers found personal use amounts of illegal narcotic drugs, as well as sixteen firearms, and a large quantity of ammunition. On February 21, 2018, law enforcement officers executed two additional search warrants at a commercial utility building near MONSON’S residence. There, officers found ten machine guns, two of them with obliterated serial numbers, three pipe bombs, and three unregistered silencers. As part of his guilty plea, MONSON was required to forfeit to the United States 12 firearms, three pipe bombs, and three silencers.

United States Attorney Erica MacDonald thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the CEE-VI Gang and Drug Task Force, and the Kandiyohi County Attorney’s Office who investigated this case, and Assistant United States Attorney John Docherty who prosecuted the case.

Defendant Information:

CHAD LEE MONSON, 46

Willmar, Minn.

Convicted:

• Possession of a machine gun, 1 count
• Possession of an unregistered destructive device (pipe bomb), 1 count
• Possession of an unregistered silencer, 1 count

Sentenced:

• 36 months
• 3 years supervised release

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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600