MADISON, WIS. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Wisconsin, Western), published as received.

MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Devin Crayton, 33, Madison, Wisconsin pleaded guilty and was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James Peterson to six years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

On or about January 11, 2022, Crayton was handling a firearm and discharged it in his girlfriend’s residence.  Later that morning he was arrested. Officers obtained a warrant to search the house and found an unloaded Taurus 9mm handgun along with a magazine containing four live rounds.  They also found a bullet hole from the upstairs hallway that travelled down into the living area, and a stolen police captain’s badge and handcuff case.  Crayton is a convicted felon, has been to prison in Nevada, and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Crayton said that he likes “car shopping” (stealing from vehicles) and that the police badge was in a bag that he took.  He also admitted that he was handling the gun when it discharged in the house.  While the defendant said it was a negligent discharge and he only briefly handled it, a witness said that Crayton always carried the gun, that he had pointed it at her before, and that he fired it in the house to wake people up as he was trying to get methamphetamine.

Relevant conduct considered at sentencing included a March 27, 2022, arrest where the defendant was in possession of two handguns and a short barrel shotgun.

At sentencing Judge Peterson said that the most aggravating factor of the case was that after the defendant’s arrest in this case, he spent two months in jail on state charges and, after being released, immediately got more guns.  The fact that he discharged the firearm was also concerning, and the court was skeptical of claims that this was a negligent discharge.  Judge Peterson noted that at 33 years old, the defendant can no longer blame his conduct on a difficult childhood, and that he had a bad criminal record. 

The charge against Crayton was the result of an investigation conducted by the Verona Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan. 

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.