Fourteenth Defendant Sentenced in St. Croix Tribal Drug Investigation
| U.S. Attorney’s Office January 04, 2010 |
MADISON, WI—Stephen P. Sinnott, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Michael D. Hammond, 33, Hayward, 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 crack cocaine on St. Croix tribal lands from approximately December 2007 to June 2008. Chief Judge Crabb sentenced Hammond to 12 years, seven months in prison without parole. Hammond’s sentence was increased because he has several prior drug and violent crime convictions in Sawyer County.
With today’s sentencing, fourteen 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:
| Name | Crime of Conviction | Sentence Imposed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Michael Hammond conspired with Ericka Reynolds, Shaleah Reynolds, Shannon Corbine, and others to obtain and distribute crack cocaine on St. Croix tribal lands from approximately December 2007 to approximately June 2008. Crack cocaine was obtained from sources in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and the drugs were then sold to customers on tribal lands in northwestern Wisconsin. During the first several months of 2008, an individual working with law enforcement officers purchased crack cocaine from Hammond and his co-conspirators on several occasions. Each of these purchases was recorded and monitored by law enforcement officers.
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 the Wisconsin State Patrol.
As set out above, 14 defendants have now been convicted of federal drug offenses as a result of this investigation. Five additional defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing; five additional defendants were indicted on December 2, 2009, and are awaiting trial; and one additional defendant charged on December 2, 2009, remains a fugitive.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Vaudreuil is handling the prosecution of these cases.