Eric G. Cooke, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Wisconsin 2021

A Ladysmith man was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking ring. Eric G. Cooke, 51, was found guilty of possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

The crime took place on July 2, 2020, when Cooke was pulled over by a Rusk County Sheriff’s Department investigator for speeding. During the traffic stop, a female passenger told the officer that Cooke forced her to conceal a baggie containing a small amount of methamphetamine. She turned over the baggie of methamphetamine to the officer.

When officers searched Cooke’s vehicle, they found a bag containing approximately 118 grams of methamphetamine. They also found over $10,000 in cash on Cooke. In addition, the female passenger directed officers to a location off a roadway in Chippewa County where Cooke had stashed a cooler containing over three and a half pounds of marijuana.

Cooke was interviewed and admitted to selling methamphetamine off and on for approximately 25 years. He also admitted to selling methamphetamine in increasingly large quantities in 2020 following his release from a yearlong county jail sentence.

At the time of the incident, Cooke was on state supervision for a prior conviction involving methamphetamine trafficking. His supervision was revoked and he is currently serving a state prison sentence with an expected release date of July 3, 2025.

U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson sentenced Cooke to 9 years in federal prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release. This federal sentence will run concurrently with Cooke’s state prison sentence. The charge against Cooke was the result of an investigation conducted by the West Central Drug Task Force, Chippewa, Clark, Eau Claire, and Rusk County Sheriff’s Offices, Eau Claire and Ladysmith Police Departments, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson. Cooke pleaded guilty to the charge on April 28, 2021. In imposing the sentence, Judge Peterson noted the fairly substantial quantity of methamphetamine involved and that Cooke was able to generate enough money selling drugs to purchase a car and have $10,000 in cash on him.

Cooke’s lengthy prior criminal record and acceptance of responsibility for his actions were also taken into account during sentencing. The sentence was handed down on [insert date] in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin in Madison, Wis.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwi/pr/ladysmith-man-sentenced-9-years-methamphetamine-trafficking