MADISON, WI (WSAU) — A Wausau man will spend just over half a decade behind bars for owning an illegal firearm.
Tuesday afternoon 26-year-old Michael Wienandt of Wausau was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge James Peterson to 6 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Wienandt pleaded guilty to the charge on February 12th.
The charge stems from an incident on May 15th, 2020 when Wienandt was arrested by Everest Metro Police and members of the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force at a bar in Weston. Wienandt was arrested in connection with an attempted burglary earlier that day.
When officers took Wienandt into custody, he had a .40 caliber handgun in his waistband. Investigators also found a sawed-off shotgun in a room at a nearby hotel in Weston where Wienandt was staying. Wienandt has prior felony burglary convictions.
During Wienandt’s sentencing, Judge Peterson expressed concern about Wienandt’s repeated pattern of criminal behavior after completing earlier sentences. He also considered Wienandt’s “atrocious” conduct and threats toward police during his arrest an aggravating factor.
The charge against Wienandt was the result of an investigation conducted by the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Everest Metro Police Department, and Wausau Police Department.
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