United States of America v. Francesco Anglin

Madison, Wisconsin, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with unlawful transportation of a firearm.

In March 15, 2025, a Maple Bluff police officer attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation. The vehicle fled and ultimately crashed in downtown Madison with the two occupants running from the scene. Officers searched the vehicle and found a loaded 9mm handgun. They also found Anglin’s cell phone with a lock screen photo of him pointing a black firearm at the camera.

On April 24, 2025, a Madison police officer stopped Francesco Anglin’s vehicle and located a loaded privately made firearm in the glovebox. Anglin had previously posted photos to his Facebook account showing him in possession of that privately made firearm.

Anglin was on federal supervised release at the time of these offenses, after serving 43 months for a prior felon in possession conviction. In that case, Anglin asked a female to purchase a handgun for him. At the time, he was already convicted of a felony offense and was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. While on supervised release, for that offense, Anglin escaped from a prison facility, was charged, convicted, and sentenced to eight months in prison.

At sentencing the government argued that Anglin was a significant danger to the community and was not deterred by previous prison sentences. The government also noted the many images that Anglin posted on Facebook showing him in possession of firearms and making threatening comments.

At sentencing Judge Peterson found that Anglin had been a failure on supervised release and that he presented a significant danger to the community. Judge Peterson said that Anglin was resistant to intervention by federal probation officers who were tasked with helping him, and that carrying a gun presented an extreme risk to those officers. Judge Peterson noted that there was strong evidence that Anglin was always armed, and that he was intent on intimidating others and inciting violence by his social media posts. Judge Peterson concluded that Anglin needed to be removed from the community and sent a significant message that his gun crimes would not be tolerated.

The charge against Anglin was the result of an investigation conducted by the Maple Bluff and Madison Police Departments, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.

Federal criminal cases involving firearms are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the U.S. Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

(g) It shall be unlawful for any person—
(1) who has been convicted in any court of, a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year;
(2) who is a fugitive from justice;
(3) who is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance (as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802));
(4) who has been adjudicated as a mental defective or who has been committed to a mental institution;
(5) who, being an alien—
(A) is illegally or unlawfully in the United States; or
(B) except as provided in subsection (y)(2), has been admitted to the United States under a nonimmigrant visa (as that term is defined in section 101(a)(26) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(26)));
(6) who has been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions;
(7) who, having been a citizen of the United States, has renounced his citizenship;
(8) who is subject to a court order that—
(A) was issued after a hearing of which such person received actual notice, and at which such person had an opportunity to participate;
(B) restrains such person from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner of such person or child of such intimate partner or person, or engaging in other conduct that would place an intimate partner in reasonable fear of bodily injury to the partner or child; and
(C)
(i) includes a finding that such person represents a credible threat to the physical safety of such intimate partner or child; or
(ii) by its terms explicitly prohibits the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against such intimate partner or child that would reasonably be expected to cause bodily injury; or
(9) who has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence,
to ship or transport in interstate or foreign commerce, or possess in or affecting commerce, any firearm or ammunition; or to receive any firearm or ammunition which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.

The Defendant was found guilty and was sentenced to 63 months CBOP (consecutive to 19-cr-178); 3 years S/R; $100 CA.