Marathon County Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

MADISON, WIS. - Timothy M. O'Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Shawn Hignite, Sr., 50, Weston, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 3 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Hignite pleaded guilty to this charge on August 1, 2024.

On January 30, 2024, police responded to a domestic incident involving a gunshot. When they arrived, police made contact with Hignite, who initially denied there was a gunshot. Police later obtained a search warrant and located a loaded handgun inside the house and a spent shell casing in the backyard. Hignite later admitted that the gun belonged to him and that he fired it that night. Hignite is legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to prior felony convictions.

At sentencing, Judge Conley acknowledged the dismal history of Hignite consuming alcohol and committing crimes. He noted that Hignite's last 30 years have been plagued by poor decision making with either a fascination or compulsion with possessing firearms. Judge Conley expressed disappointment with the pattern of firearms being present in each of Hignite's prior offenses. He also expressed hope that the sentence would deter Hignite from committing offenses in the future.

The charge against Hignite was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Everest Metro Police Department, Rothschild Police Department, and Marathon County Sheriff's Department. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also investigated the case. The task force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from local agencies including the Dane County and Clark County Sheriff's Offices and the Fitchburg, Madison, Sun Prairie, and La Crosse Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ayala prosecuted this case.

This case has 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.