United States Drug Enforcement Administration

MADISON, WI. - John W. Vaudreuil, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Dwayne Johnson, 36, previously of Madison, was sentenced on July 19, 2011, by U.S. District Judge Barbara B. Crabb to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin. Johnson had previously pled guilty to the charge on May 10, 2011.

According to evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Johnson frequently traveled to Chicago and returned to Dane County with heroin for redistribution between 2008 and 2010. The government argued at sentencing that Johnson’s relevant conduct involved approximately one kilogram of heroin, which equates to between 5,000 and 6,000 dosage units for heroin users. Additionally, the evidence showed that Johnson led an organization that utilized runners who traveled to Chicago and then made deliveries on Johnson’s behalf in the Madison area. Evidence was also presented in court that Johnson frequently carried a firearm for protection. Judge Crabb took into consideration Johnson’s extensive criminal history, including his first drug arrest at the age of 18, when sentencing Johnson.

“The plague of heroin will not be tolerated by the public, and the DEA will not stand idle. Those responsible for distributing this poison will be brought to justice with the help of dedicated law enforcement officers and prosecutors from around the state of Wisconsin,” said Jack Riley, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the Drug Enforcement (DEA), which includes the state of Wisconsin. “In this particular case, a direct route of heroin from Chicago to the Madison area has been severed.”

The investigation that resulted in the charges against Johnson was conducted by the Deforest Police Department, Madison Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Justice - Division of Criminal Investigation, and the DEA. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey M. Anderson.

Parents and their children are encouraged to educate themselves about the dangers of legal and illegal drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.justthinktwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com and www.dea.gov.