MADISON, WIS. -- John W. Vaudreuil, United States Attorney
for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Darrion Brown, 22, of
Madison, Wis., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Barbara B. Crabb to
21 months in federal prison for possession of heroin with intent to
distribute. Brown pleaded guilty to
this charge on March 13, 2014.
Brown had previously pleaded guilty in state court to a
reckless endangerment charge for a May 19, 2012 incident on University Avenue
in Madison, in which Brown shot a woman in the back and a man in the
shoulder. Brown was out on bail and
failed to appear for a September 9, 2013 sentencing in this incident, when he
committed additional criminal acts leading to his federal conviction.
In November 2013, Brown took a car from a drug customer as
collateral for a drug debt. The wife of
the drug customer called Brown and said that she had his money if he would meet
her at a nearby restaurant parking lot.
She then called the Madison Police who agreed to offer assistance in
recovering the car.
When Brown arrived with the car, police officers approached
him. Brown presented false
identification and then attempted to run, but was promptly apprehended. Police found 19 individually bundled packets
of heroin in Brown’s pocket, as well as $860 in cash. Before returning the car to the rightful
owner, police searched it for any dangerous items or other articles belonging
to Brown, and found a digital scale and a loaded handgun.
Judge Crabb found it probable that the gun found in the car
was possessed in connection with the possession of heroin with intent to
distribute charge, which increased Brown’s advisory sentence under the federal
guidelines. Judge Crabb also noted
Brown’s criminal history and drug use.
The sentence of 21 months in prison was the maximum sentence recommended
under the federal sentencing guidelines.
Judge Crabb stated the sentence could be served at the same time as his
state sentence, but left the state court free to impose a sentence in the
shooting case that would be served in addition to time imposed in the federal
drug case.
The charge against Brown was the result of an investigation
conducted by the Madison Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution
of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Burke.
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