Nathan Hendrickson, a 37-year-old resident of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possessing over 500 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley on January 27, 2026, following Hendrickson’s guilty plea in October 2025.
Law enforcement began investigating Hendrickson after receiving reports in late 2024 and early 2025 that he was selling large quantities of methamphetamine. Officers from the West Central Drug Task Force conducted controlled purchases from Hendrickson on three occasions in January and February 2025. A search of his apartment on February 12 resulted in the seizure of approximately 678 grams of methamphetamine, a scale, nearly $3,000 in cash, and drug paraphernalia.
During sentencing, Judge Conley noted concerns about Hendrickson’s increasing criminal activity. “Criminal conduct has been escalating,” Judge Conley said. He also considered Hendrickson’s prior short state sentences compared to his current involvement in significant methamphetamine distribution before deciding on the decade-long federal sentence.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including sheriffs’ departments from Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire, and Buffalo counties; the Eau Claire Police Department; the West Central Drug Task Force; the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation; and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Remington prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at addressing illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and reducing violent crime nationwide by coordinating resources from various task forces.
