Craig C. Gates, Cocaine Trafficking, Wisconsin 2023

MADISON, WI – In a stunning blow to the region’s narcotics trade, Craig C. Gates, a 46-year-old Wausau resident, was sentenced to 106 months in federal prison for cocaine trafficking and firearms possession. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley, will be followed by 5 years of supervised release.

Gates pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine intended for distribution and possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on October 28, 2024. The charges stemmed from a multi-year investigation by the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force, which uncovered a massive cocaine trafficking operation led by Tommie Haney and Quo Vadis Lewis.

According to court documents, Gates was identified as a frequent source of cocaine for Lewis and was found to be distributing kilograms of the substance. On June 28, 2023, officers executed a search warrant at Gates’s residence, recovering a loaded Ruger 9mm handgun, over 420 grams of cocaine, and $11,000 in cash.

Gates, who has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple prior felony convictions, admitted to selling cocaine for a long time and supplying 3 additional distributors. He claimed that the cocaine came from cartels in Mexico, as it was often wrapped and stamped.

At sentencing, Judge Conley highlighted the many aggravating factors in the case, including the large amount of cocaine recovered, the loaded firearm, Gates’s lengthy criminal history, and his being on supervision for five cases while trafficking cocaine.

Gates’s sentence is just the latest in a series of convictions related to the massive cocaine trafficking operation. Eight others were charged in connection with the case, including Teala L. Kumbera, Shandel L. Mohr, Quo Vadis Lewis, Shelby Gutch, Troy C. Olsen, Tommie Haney, Edwin Lewis, and Samuel A. Teague.

Gates’s case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of cocaine trafficking on our communities. As we continue to work to dismantle these operations, it’s clear that those involved will face severe consequences.

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