Joseph Komanekin, Jr., Drug Trafficking, Wisconsin 2017
A Neopit, Wisconsin man has been sentenced to prison for his role in a drug trafficking operation on the Menominee Indian Reservation.
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that 33-year-old Joseph Komanekin, Jr. was sentenced to 2 years in prison and 3 years of supervised release after convictions for drug trafficking and a firearms offense.
The investigation revealed that Komanekin possessed with the intent to distribute 38 grams of a synthetic drug called FUB-AMB, which is an analogue of a Schedule I controlled substance referred to locally as “Ish.”
In February 2016, Komanekin’s residence was searched pursuant to a tribal search warrant, and further evidence of distribution was recovered from the home. Tribal police also seized a short-barreled shotgun from an area in the basement near where the synthetic drugs and other contraband were found.
In sentencing Komanekin, Chief Judge William C. Griesbach noted the serious nature of the offense, which involved the sale of a substance that is causing great harm to the Menominee Indian community.
The case was investigated by the Menominee Tribal Police Department, the Wisconsin Department of Justice – Division of Criminal Investigation (Native American Drug and Gang Initiative), Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.
Komanekin was sentenced on May 22, 2017, after he pleaded guilty in March 2017.
Key Facts
- State: Wisconsin
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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