Jerry Tate, Fentanyl Trafficking, Wisconsin 2023

Fentanyl Trafficking Lands Beloit Man 5 ½ Years in Prison

MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jerry Tate, 52, Beloit, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 5 ½ years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl and for possessing 50 grams or more of fentanyl and methamphetamine intended for distribution.

Tate pleaded guilty to these charges on October 28, 2024. He was accused of traveling to La Crosse County, Wisconsin, from September 2022 through May 2023, where he stayed at various hotels for days at a time. During that time, he sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to a confidential informant (CI).

Over the course of five controlled purchases, Tate sold the CI over 33 grams of fentanyl and over 13 grams of methamphetamine. On May 5, 2023, law enforcement arrested Tate and searched the hotel room where he was staying in Onalaska, Wisconsin. Law enforcement found over 100 grams of fentanyl and methamphetamine, items for drug distribution, and over $1,500 in U.S. currency.

Following Tate’s arrest for trafficking fentanyl, he was out on bond for state charges and was arrested again for continuing to traffic fentanyl. At sentencing, Judge Peterson found that a lengthy sentence was warranted given the duration of Tate’s fentanyl trafficking and fentanyl’s known toxicity.

‘The quantity Tate was dealing went beyond just supporting his own substance abuse, and his criminal history demonstrated a potential to reoffend,’ Judge Peterson noted. The charges against Tate were the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse, Campbell, and Onalaska Police Departments, as well as the La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ayala prosecuted this case. The defendant’s lengthy sentence reflects the severity of the crime and the need to protect the community from the dangers of fentanyl trafficking.

In accordance with the mandatory facts, the defendant’s information is as follows:

Defendant:

Jerry Tate, 52, Beloit, Wisconsin

Criminal Charges:

Distributing fentanyl and for possessing 50 grams or more of fentanyl and methamphetamine intended for distribution

City and State:

Beloit, Wisconsin

Exact Date:

October 28, 2024 (plea), May 5, 2023 (arrest)

Sentence or Outcome:

5 ½ years in federal prison

Dollar Amounts:

Over $1,500 in U.S. currency

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwi/pr/beloit-man-sentenced-5-12-years-fentanyl-trafficking