MADISON, WIS. -- A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments yesterday. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Minnesota Man Charged with Possessing Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute
William Huff, 54, South St. Paul, Minnesota, is charged with possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The indictment alleges that he possessed methamphetamine on April 20, 2019.
If convicted, Huff faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and Dunn County Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner.
La Crosse Man Charged with Distributing Methamphetamine
James A. Conner III, 43, La Crosse, Wisconsin, is charged with two counts of distributing methamphetamine, and one count of possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The indictment alleges that he distributed methamphetamine in December 2018 and January 2019, and that he possessed the methamphetamine on April 4, 2019.
If convicted, Conner faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison on the count alleging the possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and 20 years on each distribution charge. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the La Crosse Police Department and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick Elgersma.
La Crosse Man Charged with Drug Crimes Involving 500 Grams of Methamphetamine
Andrew R. Henke, 35, La Crosse, Wisconsin, is charged with distributing methamphetamine, and possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The indictment alleges that he distributed and possessed methamphetamine on March 26, 2019.
If convicted, Henke faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison on the charge alleging 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and 20 years on the distribution charge. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the La Crosse Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan.
Janesville Man Charged with Sex Trafficking of Minor
Corey Hereford, 47, Janesville, Wisconsin, is charged with recruiting an individual he knew was a minor and would be caused to engage in a commercial sex act. The indictment also charges him with committing this felony offense involving a minor while being required to register as a sex offender.
If convicted, Hereford faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on the sex trafficking of a minor charge, and a mandatory consecutive 10 year sentence on the charge of committing a felony offense involving a minor while being required to register as a sex offender.
The charges against Hereford are the result of an investigation by the Janesville Police Department and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation.
New York Woman Charged with Conspiracy & Causing the Introduction of Misbranded Drugs into Interstate Commerce
Ursula Wing, 41, New York City, is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and causing the introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. The indictment alleges that Wing illegally smuggled into the United States misbranded prescription drugs from India, which were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for distribution in the United States, and that she sold these misbranded prescription drugs to customers in the United States and around the world.
The indictment alleges that the prescription drugs sold by Wing were misbranded in that they were dispensed without a valid prescription from a practitioner licensed by law to administer such drugs, and that the labeling of the drugs lacked adequate directions for use by a lay person. The indictment alleges that Wing did not possess a valid wholesale drug distribution license, a valid pharmacy license, or a license to prescribe prescription drugs.
The indictment further alleges that Wing attempted to disguise the nature of her sale of prescription drugs by 1) creating a fake company called “Fatima’s Bead Basket,” which she listed as the shipper on the envelope going to the customer; 2) by inserting a necklace or other item of jewelry in the shipping envelope to serve as the cover piece of merchandise being mailed to the customer; 3) by packaging the misbranded drugs in a smaller packet that was in a hidden panel and taped to the inside of the shipping envelope; 4) by disguising the nature of the item being purchased by listing on the invoice alternate jewelry product names, each of which had a code to indicate the actual item being ordered; 5) by mailing these misbranded drugs from the United States to customers around the world, and falsely characterizing the exports on U.S. Customs forms as jewelry; and 6) by creating a fake online jewelry business for use as a cover for selling the misbranded drugs, allowing her clients to pay for the misbranded drugs using their credit cards, with the sales showing up on the merchant account as jewelry.
The indictment alleges that from June 2016 through June 2018, Wing conspired to defraud the United States by impeding lawful functions of federal law enforcement and regulatory agencies, and that from January 2018 through February 2018, Wing caused the introduction of unapproved, misbranded prescription drugs mifepristone and misoprostol into interstate commerce by sending the drugs from the state of New York to Wisconsin.
If convicted, Wing faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison on the conspiracy charge, and three years on the felony charge of causing the introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. The charges against Wing are the result of an investigation by the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and IRS Criminal Investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Graber.
Two Dane County Men Charged with Drug Crimes Involving Heroin, Fentanyl & Cocaine
Cortez Jackson, 39, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and Van Williamson, 42, Madison, Wisconsin, are charged with conspiring to distribute a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, and cocaine. The indictment alleges that the amount of the mixture of heroin and fentanyl involved in the conspiracy that was attributable to the defendants’ conduct is 40 grams or more, and that the conspiracy operated from February 2019 to June 6, 2019.
The indictment also charges Jackson with eight counts of distributing a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, with three of the counts also alleging the distribution of cocaine. The indictment further alleges that one of the counts involved the distribution of 40 grams or more of heroin and fentanyl. The indictment charges Williamson with one count of distributing heroin and fentanyl, as well as cocaine, and one count of distributing cocaine.
If convicted, Jackson and Williamson face a mandatory minimum five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison on the charges alleging 40 grams or more of heroin and fentanyl. Each of the distribution charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years.
The charges against Jackson and Williamson are the result of an investigation by the Dane County Narcotics Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Sun Prairie Police Department. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Reinhard.
Stevens Point Man Charged with Producing and Possessing Child Pornography
Nicholas Kvatek, 40, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, is charged with two counts of using a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. The indictment alleges that he produced the child pornography in January 2019.
The indictment further charges Kvatek with possessing child pornography. The indictment alleges that on April 2, 2019, he possessed a cell phone containing child pornography, and that at least one of the depictions involved a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.
If convicted, Kvatek faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison on the production charges, and a maximum of 20 years on the possession charge. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Stevens Point Police Department and Portage County Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman.
Last Update: Jun 27, 2019 9:58 am CDT
