Eugene Spears, 42, of La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced on July 15 to six years in federal prison for possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine intended for distribution. The sentence was handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson and will be followed by five years of supervised release. Spears pleaded guilty to the charge on March 23.
According to Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, law enforcement stopped Spears’s vehicle in Ferryville, Wisconsin, on February 28, 2025, after learning he was traveling to a drug transaction. Officers found over 250 grams of methamphetamine that Spears admitted he intended to sell to multiple individuals. At the time of his arrest, Spears was out on bond for a state drug case.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson said that Spears’s substantial substance addiction contributed significantly to his criminal behavior but cited his lengthy criminal history and poor performance on supervision as reasons for a longer sentence. Judge Peterson also said that the escalation in the quantity of drugs distributed warranted a long sentence, “to protect the public and promote deterrence.”
The investigation leading to this conviction involved the Prairie du Chien Police Department, Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, City of La Crosse Police Department, and Wisconsin State Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ayala prosecuted the case.
Federal prosecutions involving drugs are part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative led by the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations through efforts such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin is part of the U.S. Department of Justice with a staff including 48 professionals serving western Wisconsin counties; it handles federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation while working with various law enforcement agencies on public safety initiatives, according to its official website.