Madison Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years for Illegally Possessing Firearm While On Supervision for Armed Robbery

MADISON, WIS. - Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Johnell L. Britt, 28, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to a total of 62 months in prison. Judge Conley sentenced Britt to 48 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and to 18 months in prison, to be served consecutively, for violating the terms of his supervised release. Britt pleaded guilty to the firearms charge on April 27, 2026.

On December 11, 2025, law enforcement searched Britt's apartment and found a firearm concealed in a bag. An analyst with the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory confirmed Britt's DNA was on the firearm. Britt later admitted that he picked up the firearm and put it in the bag. At the time of the offense, Britt was on federal supervision for an armed robbery conviction.

At sentencing, Judge Conley considered Britt's history of endangering people, having been convicted of armed robbery on two separate occasions. Judge Conley noted that Britt presents a danger to society and that his willingness to possess a firearm despite his prior convictions and supervision status was a reckless decision.

The charge against Britt was the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force and the Madison Police Department. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the State of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lennon prosecuted this case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies.

Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department 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.