MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Curtis Perryman, 39, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced last week by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 20 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. Perryman’s prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Perryman pleaded guilty to this charge on March 18, 2026.During a dispute with another man in the foyer of an apartment building on July 21, 2025, Perryman retrieved a handgun from his apartment, returned to the foyer, pointed the gun at the male, and threatened him. When officers arrived at the scene, Perryman said his fiancé was the one who had the firearm, but surveillance video showed Perryman possessing the handgun before handing it to his fiancé. Officers found a Mossberg 9mm handgun with a loaded magazine next to it in Perryman’s apartment.Perryman’s criminal history includes two juvenile robbery cases, one of which involved him possessing a sawed-off shotgun, and two adult robbery convictions that resulted in 15-year prison sentences. At the time of the federal offense, Perryman was under supervision for forgery and identity theft. Because of these felony convictions, Perryman was prohibited from possessing a firearm. At sentencing, Judge Peterson said Perryman escalated the dispute by introducing a gun. Perryman’s criminal record, impulsiveness, and willingness to engage in violence led Judge Peterson to conclude Perryman was a danger to the community.The charge against Perryman was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which is comprised of federal agents from ATF as well as state and local agents throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case. Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, 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 (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).# # # #
Source: U.S. Department of Justice