Madison Man Sentenced to 84 Months for Armed Robbery & Possessing Firearm

MADISON, WIS. - Timothy M. O'Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Nathaniel Homestead, 29, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to a total of 84 months in federal prison for armed robbery and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. This prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Homestead pleaded guilty to these charges on February 8, 2021.

On July 19, 2020, Homestead robbed the Ground Zero Coffee in Madison. During the robbery, he raised his shirt and revealed a handgun in his waistband. An employee then gave Homestead cash from the register, and Homestead fled the shop. Madison police officers responded and arrested Homestead a few blocks away. Officers found Homestead's handgun in a backpack at a beach not far away. Homestead had multiple prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Following his arrest, Homestead admitted to walking by the coffee shop and suddenly thinking he should rob it. He said he was motivated to rob the store to get money to quickly purchase drugs. Homestead said he was under the influence of methamphetamine and crack cocaine at the time of the robbery. He knew he was a felon and could not legally possess a firearm.

Homestead was on active state supervision at the time for two different state cases - one involving intentionally pointing a firearm at a law enforcement officer and another for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The charges against Homestead were the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of the case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Anderson.

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