'Recipe for disaster:' Deputy arrests felon in possession of firearms during traffic stop

MILWAUKEE -- A traffic stop during a speed saturation enforcement in Milwaukee County netted a couple of arrests and handguns too.

A deputy with the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office stopped a speeding vehicle on southbound I-43 around 2:30 am. on Wednesday, June 6. Officials say the driver, a 33-year-old man, had a revoked license for an OWI-related offense and was taken into custody. His passenger’s driver’s license was suspended, requiring the vehicle to be towed.

The deputy discovered two handguns in a bag in the vehicle. The driver was a convicted felon, and faces charges of Felon in Possession of Firearm, a felony punishable by up to 12 1/2 years in prison. The passenger, a 36-year-old woman, was arrested for Felon in Possession of Firearm (Party to a Crime), also a felony punishable by up to 12 1/2 years in prison.

Acting Milwaukee County Sheriff Richard Schmidt said in a news release:

"A pistol-packing convicted felon driving recklessly on the freeway is a recipe for disaster. Saturation patrols are designed to stop dangerous, and in this case, criminal behavior. Law-abiding citizens deserve to travel on safe freeways, and we are committed to that end!"


The firearms will be sent to the State Crime Lab for additional testing.

Sheriff Schmidt implemented saturation patrols across all shifts to focus on motorists’ tendencies to increase speeds over the limit during warm weather months. Officials say the random patrols will continue to clamp down on reckless driving and dangerously high speeding.