MADISON, Wis. (WFRV) – A 30-year-old Wisconsin man will spend over nine years in federal prison after he was caught with a loaded machinegun during a high-speed chase while on supervised release for prior gun offenses.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin, Malcolm Whiteside was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon. An additional 1.5 years was added after Judge James Peterson revoked Whiteside’s supervised release stemming from a previous conviction, bringing the total to 9.5 years.
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Whiteside was convicted on April 15, 2025, following a two-day jury trial. His new conviction stemmed from an August 12, 2024, incident in which he led police on a dangerous high-speed chase through Madison, eventually crashing his vehicle into a semi-truck.
After the crash, Whiteside fled on foot and was later found hiding in a garden shed near a home improvement store. Officers searched the vehicle and found a loaded firearm under the driver’s floor mat. Crime lab analysts later confirmed Whiteside’s DNA was on the weapon.
The firearm was equipped with a Machinegun Conversion Device — an illegal attachment that transforms a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic machinegun capable of firing 50 rounds in just four seconds. Authorities say these weapons are extremely dangerous and difficult to control.
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Alongside the weapon, police also discovered bags containing cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl in the abandoned vehicle.
Judge Peterson cited Whiteside’s criminal history and the possession of the loaded machinegun as aggravating factors in the sentencing, calling his actions a serious danger to the community.
