MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Mexican National Charged with Distributing 500 Grams of Methamphetamine
Cristian Eduardo Barajas-Zamorano, 26, a resident of Sinaloa, Mexico, is charged with distributing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that he distributed the methamphetamine on Sept. 12, 2018. Barajas-Zamorano was arrested yesterday in Fitchburg, Wisconsin.
If convicted, Barajas-Zamorano faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Service, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, Wisconsin State Patrol, and Madison Police Department. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Burke.
Texas Man Faces Additional Charge of Traveling Across State Lines to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct
Robert Hosler, 26, Austin, Texas, is charged with using a means of interstate commerce, specifically email and text messages, to attempt to persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity. The second count of the indictment charges Hosler with traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct.
Hosler was charged with using a means of interstate commerce to attempt to persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity in a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Madison on September 6. Today’s indictment adds the second count. Federal law requires that felony offenses be charged by an indictment returned by a grand jury within 30 days of the date a criminal complaint is filed.
The complaint filed against Hosler alleged that in August 2018, he responded to an advertisement posted on the Internet which offered a 13 year old girl for sexual purposes. The complaint alleges that in response to the ad, he flew from Texas to Minneapolis, rented a car and travelled to a prearranged meeting location in Eau Claire, where he was arrested by law enforcement officers on September 6. According to the complaint, the advertisement was posted by an undercover law enforcement officer.
Hosler made an initial appearance in federal court in Madison on September 7 and was ordered held in federal custody. His arraignment is scheduled for September 20 in federal court in Madison.
If convicted, Hosler faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison on Count One, and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on Count Two. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Eau Claire Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, Central Texas Violent Crimes Task Force, Wisconsin State Patrol, and West Central Drug Task Force. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
