November 14, 2014

South Range Woman Sentenced to 10 Years on Methamphetamine Charge

MADISON, WI—John W. Vaudreuil, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jill Welsh, 47, South Range, Wis., was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William Conley to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. This prison term will be followed by five years of supervised release. Welsh pleaded guilty to this charge on September 16, 2014.

On March 6, 2014, agents followed Jill Welsh to Kansas. Once there, they arrested Jill Welsh and Brady Holmes. Holmes’ car was searched and officers located five pounds of methamphetamine in a PVC tube.

It was determined that Welsh intended to bring the methamphetamine to the Superior, Wis. area to sell. A package containing two pounds of methamphetamine that was intended for Welsh was also seized in late 2013. The methamphetamine seized was almost 100 percent pure.

Brady Holmes and Robyn Reed, an additional co-conspirator, have pleaded guilty to federal charges and will be sentenced in U.S. District Court in Madison on December 2, 2014.

The charge against Welsh was the result of an investigation conducted by the Superior Police Department; Douglas County Sheriff’s Office; Duluth Police Department; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Postal Service; Wisconsin Department of Justice; Division of Criminal Investigation; Mulvane (Kansas) Police Department and the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman.