Timothy M. O'Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Andre Miller Jr., 24, from Madison, Wisconsin, has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for possessing a machinegun. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley after Miller pleaded guilty on November 8, 2024. Following his prison term, Miller will be subject to three years of supervised release.
The incident leading to Miller's arrest occurred on October 27, 2021, when officers from the Town of Madison Police Department responded to a report of a stolen vehicle parked in Madison. Miller was identified as the driver and fled when approached by an officer. Upon apprehension, officers discovered a gun magazine in his backpack. A search revealed a loaded Glock 26 9mm handgun equipped with an illegal machinegun conversion device. Additionally, officers found 48 grams of cocaine and 10 grams of heroin in the backpack.
"Machinegun conversion devices are extraordinarily dangerous," stated U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O'Shea. "These devices are often used in weapons that are not designed to function as machine guns, thus making the weapons incredibly difficult to aim. Discharging a weapon equipped with such a device in a public area endangers every child and adult within range." O'Shea emphasized that removing these illegal devices from Wisconsin streets is among his top priorities.
During sentencing, Judge Conley expressed concern over Miller's possession of a machinegun linked to drug trafficking activities.
The charge against Miller resulted from an investigation conducted by the Town of Madison Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. This task force includes federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from local agencies such as Dane County and Clark County Sheriff's Offices and police departments in Fitchburg, Madison, Sun Prairie, and La Crosse. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven P. Anderson and William M. Levins prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative by the U.S. Justice Department aimed at reducing violent crime through coordinated efforts between state and federal prosecutors along with various law enforcement levels.