MADISON, Wis. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Two Dane County Residents Charged With Straw Purchase of Firearms
Irene M. Johll, 23, of Oregon, Wisconsin, is charged with three counts of making a false statement during a purchase of a firearm. The indictment alleges that on Nov. 30, 2022, February 7, 2023, and Feb. 24, 2023, while purchasing a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer, Johll falsely indicated she was the actual buyer of the firearm when she knew she was purchasing the firearm for Lorenzo Lacey III, 26, of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. This is known as a straw purchase. The indictment charges Lacey with three counts of causing Johll to make those false statements.
If convicted, Johll and Lacey face a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison on each count. The charges against them are the result of an investigation by the Fitchburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan is handling the prosecution.
Madison Man Charged With Drug and Gun Crimes
Ramogi O. Carr Jr. is charged with possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute and with possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. The indictment alleges that he possessed the fentanyl and firearm on May 2.
If convicted, Carr faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on the fentanyl charge. The charge of possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime has a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum of life. Federal law requires that any penalty imposed on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime be served consecutive to any other prison term imposed.
The charges against Carr are the result of an investigation by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, the Madison Police Department and the Fitchburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick Elgersma is handling the prosecution.
These two indictments have been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.