Sauk County Woman Sentenced to Prison for Straw Purchasing Firearm

MADISON, WIS. - Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jade McClaren, 42, Rock Springs, Wisconsin, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge William Conley to one year and one day in federal prison for lying on a form during the purchase of a firearm. McClaren pleaded guilty to this charge on April 20, 2026.

"Straw purchasing" is when a gun buyer lies to a firearms dealer to purchase a gun for someone else. Most often straw purchases occur either because the straw buyer can pass the required background check and the actual buyer cannot, or because the actual buyer wants to avoid having their name associated with the gun transaction. Straw purchasing is a serious threat to public safety because it undermines background check laws and contributes to the illegal gun market.

On June 2, 2026, McClaren purchased a handgun from a gun store purporting to be the actual purchaser of the handgun. She later admitted that she was really purchasing the handgun for Brandon Bent, an individual she knew could not legally purchase a firearm. Bent has been charged in Sauk County with first degree intentional homicide. The case against him remains pending and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

At McClaren's sentencing, Judge Conley agreed with the government's argument that this was the worst-case and most tragic outcome of a straw purchase. Judge Conley found that McClaren knew Bent was a danger and she still made the decision to buy a gun for him. Judge Conley concluded that the sentence must reflect the consequences of the straw purchase and sentenced McClaren to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

"Straw purchasing of firearms puts guns into the hands of people who are prohibited from owning them, increasing the risk of violent crime. It also undermines community safety by making it harder for law enforcement to track and prevent illegal firearm trafficking," said U.S. Attorney Elgersma. "The U.S. Attorney's Office is committed to working with ATF and local law enforcement to reduce gun violence by holding accountable not only those who use firearms during crimes, but also those who illegally supply guns to offenders."

The charge against McClaren was the result of an investigation conducted by the Lake Delton Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which is comprised of agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.

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.

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.