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Crime & Courts

Sauk County Woman Sentenced to Prison for Straw Purchasing Firearm

Jade McClaren, 42, of Rock Springs, Wisconsin, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for lying on a firearm purchase form.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 31, 2026, 12:52 p.m. ET
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MADISON, Wis. — On August 31, 2026, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Wisconsin announced that Jade McClaren, 42, of Rock Springs, Wisconsin, was last week by U.S. District Judge William Conley to one year and one day in federal prison for lying on a form during the purchase of a firearm. McClaren pleaded guilty on April 20, 2026. On June 2, 2026, she purchased a handgun from a gun store purporting to be the actual purchaser, but later admitted she was buying it for Brandon Bent, an individual she knew could not legally purchase a firearm. Bent has been charged in Sauk County with first degree intentional homicide; that case remains pending and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. At sentencing, Judge Conley agreed with the government that this was the worst-case and most tragic outcome of a straw purchase, finding that McClaren knew Bent was a danger and still made the decision to buy a gun for him. The sentence includes three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma said, “Straw purchasing of firearms puts guns into the hands of people who are prohibited from owning them, increasing the risk of violent crime. It also undermines community safety by making it harder for law enforcement to track and prevent illegal firearm trafficking.” The investigation was conducted by the Lake Delton Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted the case.

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  1. Version 131 Aug 2026, 16:52current

    First published.

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