MADISON, WI – A Wisconsin Rapids man is staring down a potential lifetime behind bars after a federal grand jury handed down a multi-count indictment this week. Bradly Rosenthal, 41, is accused of peddling methamphetamine and illegally possessing firearms – a dangerous combination that authorities say fueled a criminal enterprise in Central Wisconsin.
The indictment, returned in the Western District of Wisconsin, alleges that Rosenthal distributed methamphetamine on three separate occasions in February 2024. The feds claim he wasn’t just dealing small amounts; on March 13, 2024, authorities say he possessed 50 grams or more of the highly addictive drug, clearly intending to distribute it further. But the charges don’t stop there. That same day, according to the indictment, Rosenthal – a convicted felon – was found with a Keltec handgun, a Stoeger handgun, and multiple ammunition types.
Federal prosecutors aren’t messing around. Rosenthal faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each of the methamphetamine distribution charges. The possession with intent to distribute charge carries a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 40. The felon in possession charge could add another 15 years to his sentence. But the most severe penalty looms with the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime – a minimum of 5 years and a potential life sentence. Critically, any sentence on that firearms charge must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed, meaning Rosenthal isn’t getting any breaks.
The bust is the result of a coordinated effort by the Central Wisconsin Drug Task Force, along with the Wisconsin Rapids and Nekoosa Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Remington is leading the prosecution. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Justice Department initiative aimed at reducing violent crime by targeting illegal gun possession and drug trafficking.
In a separate indictment, a 72-year-old Oneida County man is facing serious allegations. James H. Hornung, of Newbold, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing child pornography. The indictment details that between September 4, 2021, and June 23, 2023, Hornung allegedly possessed a 128 GB Lenovo IdeaPad 1 and six GB SanDisk Flash Drives containing disturbing visual depictions of minors. The indictment goes further, alleging that at least one of those depictions involved a prepubescent child.
If convicted, Hornung faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. The investigation, spearheaded by the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, falls under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide effort to combat child sexual exploitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Ginsberg is handling the Hornung case. Anyone with information related to child exploitation is encouraged to visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Key Facts
- State: Wisconsin
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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