Fitchburg Man Sentenced to 45 Months for Illegally Possessing Firearm

MADISON, WIS. - Timothy M. O'Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Damariyah Muhammad, 23, Fitchburg, Wisconsin, was sentenced on October 4, 2024 by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 45 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Muhammad pleaded guilty to this charge on July 10, 2024.

On January 8, 2024, law enforcement sought to arrest Muhammad for charges related to a domestic disorderly conduct and hit and run. When detectives encountered Muhammad, he fled. He slipped in the snow and dropped a firearm, which law enforcement immediately recovered and identified as a loaded Glock 9mm handgun with a 31-round extended magazine. The Wisconsin State Crime Lab confirmed Muhammad's DNA was present on the gun. Muhammad is prohibited from legally possessing firearms and ammunition because of prior felony convictions.

At sentencing, Judge Conley considered Muhammad's continued escalating criminal behavior, which has involved possession of high-capacity firearms and violent activity. The Judge noted that Muhammad has had chances to reflect and resources available, but he did not accept them and squandered those opportunities. The Judge urged Muhammad to use his time in custody to confront his past, to decide that this is his low point, and to stop his decent into the criminal lifestyle.

The charge against Muhammad was the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consisting 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 Colleen Lennon 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.