Madison Man Who Pointed Loaded Handgun During Dispute Sentenced to 6 ½ Years for Illegally Possessing Firearm as a Felon

MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Joseph Harrison, 36, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 6 ½ years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Harrison pleaded guilty to this charge on June 11, 2025.

During a dispute on April 9, 2024, Harrison brandished a gun, pointed it in a woman’s face, and threatened to shoot her. He then fled in another woman’s car. Because Harrison was on state supervision at the time for a prior criminal offense, officers tracked him using GPS monitoring. Officers stopped and arrested Harrison and then searched the vehicle, where they found a loaded Beretta .22 caliber handgun under the seat Harrison had occupied. Harrison is prohibited from legally possessing a firearm because of prior felony convictions.

At sentencing, Judge Conley noted that Harrison had spent approximately 17 years in and out of jail or prison and was on a “disastrous path for everyone, society most of all.” Judge Conley also noted that Harrison had a history of violence, particularly toward women. Judge Conley found a substantial sentence of 6 ½ years was necessary to protect the public.

The charge against Harrison was the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force is comprised of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Ginsberg, Jennifer Remington, and Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.

Federal cases involving firearms are part of Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).