Man Sentenced to 11 Years for Meth Trafficking and Possessing Firearms as a Felon
MADISON, Wis. - John McGarry, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration-Milwaukee and Timothy M. O’Shea, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Brandon Herman, 42, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 11 years in federal prison for possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine intended for distribution and possessing firearms as a felon. Herman pleaded guilty to these charges on December 5, 2023.
On May 25, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the defendant’s rural residence in the Town of Lafayette in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, where they found numerous handguns and a rifle. Herman is prohibited from possessing firearms due to his previous felony convictions for possessing, manufacturing, and delivering controlled substances and possessing a firearm after a felony conviction.
During the search of Herman’s residence, law enforcement also found $19,438 in U.S. currency, more than 7 kilograms of marijuana, and more than 1 kilogram of methamphetamine inside a safe.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Peterson noted Herman’s dramatic disregard for the law and substantial criminal history. Judge Peterson told Herman that he posed an ongoing danger to the community because he continued to commit dangerous drug and gun crimes.
The charges against Herman were the result of an investigation conducted by the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office, Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Office, West Central Drug Task Force, St. Paul (Minnesota) Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Ginsberg.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
