Fifteenth Defendant Sentenced in St. Croix Tribal Drug Investigation

February 3, 2010 - MADISON, WI—Stephen P. Sinnott, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Steven R. Lang, 30, Webster, Wis., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Madison by Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara B. Crabb for his role in distributing methamphetamine on St. Croix tribal lands from approximately 2005 to 2008. Chief Judge Crabb sentenced Lang to four years in prison without parole.

With today’s sentencing, 15 defendants have now been sentenced as a result of this investigation into drug dealing on St. Croix tribal lands. The previous defendants sentenced are set forth below:

• Joseph Merrill Distribution of Crack Cocaine 4 years
• Manley L. Williams Distribution of Crack Cocaine 8 years, 4 months
• Christifer Sonnenberg Distribution of Crack Cocaine 5 years, 6 months
• Jean Sonnenberg Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine 19 years, 7 months
• Bruce Sonnenberg Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine 24 years, 4 months
• Amanda Sonnenberg Distribution of Crack Cocaine 3 years, 10 months
• George Rainey Distribution of Crack Cocaine 14 years
• Bruce Rainey Distribution of Crack Cocaine 17 years, 6 months
• Diana Martin Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine 9 years
• Margrette Cobb Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine 13 years, 4 months
• Andrew Sonnenberg Distribution of Crack Cocaine 17 years, 6 months
• Ericka J. Reynolds Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine 1 year, 6 months
• Shaleah Reynolds Distribution of Crack Cocaine 2 years
• Michael D. Hammond Distribution of Crack Cocaine 12 years, 7 months

United States Attorney Sinnott stated that today’s sentencing was the result of a long-term investigation being conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation; Federal Bureau of Investigation; St. Croix Tribal Police Department; Rice Lake Police Department; Barron County Sheriff's Department; Burnett County Sheriff's Department; Sawyer County Sheriff’s Department; Polk County Sheriff's Department; the Native American Drug & Gang Initiative; and Wisconsin State Patrol. As set out above, 15 defendants have now been convicted of federal drug offenses as a result of this investigation. Four additional defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing; six additional defendants were indicted on December 2, 2009, and are awaiting trial.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Vaudreuil is handling the prosecution of these cases.