Andre B. Morriss, 49, of Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced on July 1 by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to seven years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl and at least 50 grams of methamphetamine. The sentence will be followed by five years of supervised release. Morriss pleaded guilty to the charge on April 15.
According to court records, investigators purchased 28 grams of methamphetamine and 15 grams of fentanyl from Morriss at his Madison residence on March 12, 2024. He was arrested the following day during a traffic stop in Sauk Prairie based on an active warrant from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
After his arrest, Morriss remained in custody but continued communicating with an associate through jail video calls about their drug trafficking business. Over several weeks, they discussed customers and specific drug sales; Morriss also advised the associate on pricing strategies and maintaining customer relationships while ensuring profitability. During this period, investigators made additional purchases totaling hundreds of grams of methamphetamine and smaller amounts of fentanyl from the associate.
At sentencing, Judge Conley said Morriss’ lengthy criminal record was concerning given his age: “Judge Conley felt Morriss should be outgrowing his criminal behavior at his age, but instead, his conduct was escalating.”
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force; Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation; Dane County Narcotics Task Force; Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group; Wisconsin State Patrol; and Madison Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven P. Anderson and Kathryn Ginsberg.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Homeland Security Task Force Program initiative established by Executive Order 14159 to combat criminal cartels and transnational organizations operating within the United States.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin is part of the U.S. Department of Justice with a staff that includes 48 professionals serving the western 44 counties in Wisconsin and working with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to advance public safety through victim assistance programs as well as handling federal prosecutions and civil litigation to enforce laws, according to its official website.