Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 22, 2017, Joseph Komanekin, Jr. (age: 33) of Neopit, Wisconsin was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge William C. Griesbach to 2 years in prison and 3 years of supervised release after convictions for drug trafficking and a firearms offense on the Menominee Indian Reservation. The sentence was the result of guilty pleas in March 2017.
The investigation revealed that Komanekin possessed with the intent to distribute 38 grams of a synthetic drug called FUB-AMB, which is an analogue of a Schedule I controlled substance referred to locally as “Ish." In February 2016, Komanekin’s residence was searched pursuant to a tribal search warrant, and further evidence of distribution was recovered from the home. Tribal police also seized a short-barreled shotgun from an area in the basement near where the synthetic drugs and other contraband were found.
In sentencing Komanekin, Chief Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the offense, which involved the sale of a substance that is causing great harm to the Menominee Indian community.
The case was investigated by the Menominee Tribal Police Department, the Wisconsin Department of Justice - Division of Criminal Investigation (Native American Drug and Gang Initiative), Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier. # #
For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
