Omaha Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Illegally Possessing a Machine Gun and Felon in Possession

United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Tyler Webster, 28, of Omaha, Nebraska was sentenced on February 6, 2026, in federal court in Omaha for illegally possessing a machine gun and being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Webster to 120 months’ imprisonment on each count to run concurrently.  There is no parole in the federal system. After Webster’s release, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release on each count to run concurrently.

On November 13, 2023, Omaha Police officers dispatched to an apartment near 61st and Spencer streets in Omaha where a tenant reported that a male wearing a ski mask, later identified as Tyler Webster, had broken into her apartment and was holding a hammer.  Officers arrived and took Webster into custody and found a high-capacity handgun magazine in his pocket. On November 15, 2023, the tenant found a 9mm Polymer 80 handgun concealed in a plastic bin in her apartment that Webster had discarded while hiding. The handgun was equipped with a ‘Glock switch’ machine gun conversion device making it capable of fully automatic fire, and a machine gun as defined in federal law.

On January 29, 2024, at 3:28 am, while patrolling Leavenworth Street near South 31st Avenue, Omaha Police officers heard gunshots coming from a Chevy Equinox travelling eastbound, leaving behind .45 ACP caliber shell casings. Officers attempted a traffic stop but the Equinox led them on a high-speed.

The Equinox eventually came to a stop near a construction site on 13th and Farnam streets where Webster, the vehicle’s front passenger, threw a stolen Springfield .45 ACP caliber handgun from the window into a construction site before continuing their flight onto I-80, into Iowa.

Iowa law enforcement continued the pursuit and eventually punctured the Equinox’s tires with stop sticks, causing it to stop near Shelby, Iowa.  The driver remained with the vehicle, surrendered, and was ultimately taken into custody. Webster fled through a field on foot and escaped arrest. He was arrested later that day at a residence in Omaha.

Webster has the following prior felony convictions punishable by more than one year of incarceration: Criminal Conspiracy, a Class II Felony, and Robbery, a Class II Felony, both in the District Court of Douglas County, Nebraska (CR l7-406, November 9, 2017).

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Omaha Police Department.