A Janesville man who said he came to Madison to watch civil unrest on State Street because he was bored at home pleaded guilty Tuesday to possessing a gun after a felony conviction.
Kyle C. Olson, 29, was arrested on May 31, the second night of several in which peaceful protests against police brutality were followed by vandalism and looting Downtown and in other areas of Madison.
Olson
“I drove up here from Janesville to watch the riots because I seen it on Facebook and I was quarantining for a couple months at that time, so I was getting kind of bored sitting at my house,” Olson told U.S. District Judge William Conley during a hearing Tuesday.
Olson appeared from the Dane County Jail during a hearing held by video conference.
Olson said he drove Downtown, parked his car, took his gun out of the trunk and was immediately arrested by police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan said Olson parked his car in the 200 block of West Gilman Street, walked behind a building, then returned to his car, opened the trunk and took out a black handgun, which he put into the back waistband of his pants, covering it with his shirt.
Police nearby who saw the gun stopped Olson at gunpoint and took the gun from his waistband. It was a fully loaded .45-caliber handgun with a round in the chamber, Stephan said.
According to court documents, Olson told police he bought the gun for $250 from someone he knew, and that he lives a “boring life” and wanted to come and watch the unrest in person as a “movie.” He said he carried the gun for protection.
Olson has prior felony convictions that include fourth-offense drunken driving and taking and driving a vehicle without consent.
The gun possession conviction carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence, though under federal sentencing guidelines Olson likely would not get a sentence approaching that.
The outcome of the case, however, is conditioned on a decision to be made later on a motion filed in July by Olson’s attorney, federal defender Joseph Bugni, seeking to suppress any evidence taken by police after police converged on Olson. Bugni argues police did not know until after they arrested Olson that he was not allowed to possess a firearm, so they did not have probable cause to arrest him.
That issue will be decided after a hearing set for Feb. 3. Olson’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 26.
Wife of Madison officer killed in crash tops recent notable crime news
Wife of Madison officer killed in crash tops recent notable crime news in Madison area
Authorities identify wife of Madison police officer as pedestrian killed in Sun Prairie crash
The Dane County Medical Examiner's Office identified the pedestrian Wednesday as Julie L. Nelson, 48, of Sun Prairie.
Owner of vehicle in hit-and-run that injured 2 pedestrians claims it was stolen, Madison police say
The owner of a vehicle that injured two pedestrians in a hit-and-run on the South Side on Saturday afternoon claims it was stolen, Madison police reported.
The pedestrians, a boyfriend and girlfriend, were in a crosswalk and had a walk light to cross South Park Street at West Washington Avenue shortly before 4 p.m. Saturday when they were struck by a hit-and-run driver in a black Nissan Murano, police spokesman Joel DeSpain said in a statement.
Another inmate dead as COVID-19 cases surpass 8,000 in Wisconsin prison system
Another inmate is dead as COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the Wisconsin prison system, with total cases surpassing 8,000 for the first time Monday.
The Wisconsin Department of Corrections reported an additional 512 infections Monday, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began up to 8,150 and the active case count up to 2,288.
The total number of COVID-19-related inmate deaths — recorded as prisoner deaths in which a local medical examiner or coroner has confirmed that the virus was an underlying cause of death or a significant condition that contributed to death — now stands at 11, according to DOC.
Man arrested, drugs, 3 handguns, $18K in cash seized in South Side drug raid, Madison police say
A man was arrested and drugs, three handguns, one listed as stolen, and more than $18,000 in cash were seized in a drug raid on the South Side last Tuesday, Madison police reported.
The Dane County Narcotics Task Force, assisted by the Madison police SWAT squad, served the search warrant about 9 a.m. last Tuesday at an apartment in the 2400 block of Allied Drive, police spokesman Joel DeSpain said in an incident report.
Madison police investigating possible stabbing on North Side
Madison police are investigating a possible stabbing on the North Side Tuesday.
A spokesperson with the Dane County 911 Center said the call for the possible stabbing came in at 4:11 p.m. from the Northport Drive area.
Sun Prairie police find shot-up sedan when they respond to shooting report Tuesday night
Sun Prairie police reported finding a shot-up sedan when they responded to a shooting report Tuesday night.
At 6:35 p.m., officers responded to the 800 block of Hunters Trail on a report of multiple shots fired, Lt. Kevin Konopacki said in a statement.
75-year-old woman's car stolen from street as she walks into food pantry to make a donation
A 75-year-old Madison woman's car was stolen from the street outside a food pantry on the Southwest Side Wednesday morning, police said.
The woman left her 2014 Toyota Camry unlocked and running in the street in front of the food pantry on the 1400 block of Prairie Road at around 10:25 a.m., Madison police spokesperson Joel DeSpain said. She was gone for about a minute to make a donation, which was the time it took for the suspect to drive off with her car. Her purse was in the front passenger seat and also stolen.
Janesville man armed with knife arrested after setting residence on fire, police say
A Janesville man who was armed with a knife was arrested after setting his residence on fire on Thanksgiving, police reported.
Shortly after 2 p.m. on Thursday, Janesville police were dispatched to 3632 Birdsong Lane on a report of a disturbance, and were told the man was armed with a knife while they were en route, Sgt. Benjamin Thompson said in a statement.
Madison police: Man under the influence breaks into school, defecates on floor
An alarm at Wright Middle School shortly after midnight Saturday reportedly led Madison police to a pants-less, under-the-influence man who had defecated on the floor of the South Side school.
Officers were called to the middle school at 1717 Fish Hatchery Road shortly before 12:15 a.m. for an alarm that went off, police Lt. Kipp Hartman said in a statement, and a security guard had noticed a broken window.
Missouri woman gets 30 months in federal prison in scheme that defrauded Walmart of $860K
A Missouri woman was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison in a scheme that defrauded Walmart of more than $860,000, according to U.S. Attorney Scott C. Blader.
Heather Bishop, 31, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley for conspiring with Crystal Austin, Shelly Scott, Jason Edge, and others to commit wire fraud throughout the country. Bishop was ordered to pay restitution to Walmart in an amount to be determined after a hearing on Jan. 11.
Ed Treleven | Wisconsin State Journal
Ed Treleven is the courts reporter for the Wisconsin State Journal.
