Chicago Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Leading Cocaine Conspiracy

MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Winfield Agee, 36, Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 15 years in prison for conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.  Agee pleaded guilty to this charge on January 26, 2023. 

The government’s investigation revealed that Agee was the undisputed leader of a large-scale drug trafficking organization that was responsible for bringing at least 50 kilograms of cocaine from Chicago to Madison between 2014 and 2020.  As a result of his lucrative operation, Agee drove high-end cars, lived in posh luxury accommodations, and collected designer clothing, jewelry, shoes, and bags. 

The investigation showed that beginning in approximately 2014, Agee, who resided in Chicago, began providing cocaine to various people, including several female associates, for redistribution around Madison.  One source of information (SOI-1) reported that towards the end of 2014, she began transporting a kilogram of cocaine from Chicago to Madison twice per month for Agee.  The arrangement between SOI-1 and the defendant continued for several years until SOI-1 was arrested in May 2018.

Another source of information (SOI-2) reported that she started transporting cocaine at Agee’s direction between Chicago and Madison beginning sometime in 2018. According to SOI-2, she was transporting a kilogram of cocaine a week to Madison in 2019 and 2020.  SOI-2 recalled that Agee gave her very specific directions on how fast to drive, which lane to drive in, and what to do if she was stopped by the police.  According to SOI-2, when she would arrive in Madison with the cocaine, she would wait for Agee to tell her where to deliver it. 

On November 25, 2020, SOI-2 rented a car and drove to Agee’s home in Chicago to pick up a kilogram of cocaine. Surveillance footage revealed Agee putting a bag in SOI-2’s car outside of his apartment building.  SOI-2 was in Chicago for less than 30 minutes.  Madison Police officers stopped SOI-2 as she was driving in Madison and a search of her car revealed the kilogram of cocaine.  SOI-2 reported that she had picked up the cocaine from Agee after she had collected money from one of his associates in Madison. 

A third source of information (SOI-3) reported that she resided in the Madison area and beginning sometime in 2018, she would receive large quantities of cocaine from Agee that she would distribute to his associates in Madison.  SOI-3 would pick up the cocaine from SOI-2 once it arrived in Madison. 

All three sources of information described a similar method of operation used by Agee and his associates.  Additionally, law enforcement agents were able to corroborate much of the information based on intercepted telephone communications and surveillances.

On December 3, 2020, officers executed a search warrant at Agee’s penthouse apartment in Chicago.  During the search, officers found $6,041 in cash, key fobs for a Rolls Royce, and designer clothes, jewelry, shoes, and bags.  Officers later located two vehicles belonging to the defendant in the parking garage of the apartment — a 2019 Rolls Royce SUV and a 2020 BMW M8. 

The jewelry seized from Agee included a Patek Phillipe watch, a diamond bracelet, a diamond necklace, and diamond earrings.  Based on an appraisal from a jewelry store, the total value of the four pieces of jewelry was $472,718. 

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Peterson concluded that a significant sentence was warranted because Agee’s organization was responsible for bringing a tremendous amount of cocaine into Wisconsin for a significant period of time.  Judge Peterson also noted that Agee’s extraordinary success as a drug trafficker allowed him to become wealthy by exploiting the illnesses of other people. 

A total of eight individuals have been charged with and pleaded guilty to participating in the cocaine distribution scheme. 

The charge against Agee is the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Madison Police Department, and the Dane County Narcotics Task Force.  The investigation was conducted and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations.  The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner.