By Shereen Siewert
Nearly one year after his arrest by members of the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force and Everest Metro Police Department, a 26-year-old Wausau man was sentenced to six years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced Tuesday that Michael Wienandt was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson. Wienandt pleaded guilty to this charge on Feb. 12.
Wienandt was arrested on May 15, 2020 at a Weston tavern in connection with an attempted burglary earlier in the day. When the officers took Wienandt into custody, he had a .40 caliber handgun in his waistband. The investigators also found a sawed-off shotgun in a room at a nearby hotel in Weston where Wienandt was staying. Wienandt has prior felony burglary convictions, which make his possession of firearms illegal.
During Wienandt’s sentencing, Judge Peterson expressed concern about Wienandt’s past repeated pattern of criminal behavior after completing earlier sentences. He also considered Wienandt’s “atrocious” conduct and threats toward police during his arrest an aggravating factor.
The charge against Wienandt was the result of an investigation conducted by the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Everest Metro Police Department and Wausau Police Department. The prosecution of the case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Anderson.
