MADISON, WI – Roland J. Scott III, 20, of Madison, Wisconsin, is facing a mountain of federal charges after a grand jury indictment revealed a significant drug operation allegedly spanning over a year. Scott is accused of peddling poison on the streets of Madison – heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine – and arming himself while doing it. The feds say Scott’s crimes took place between September 15 and October 7, 2021, and continued with another bust on June 30, 2022.
The indictment details allegations that Scott distributed heroin, a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, and fentanyl on multiple occasions. He’s also charged with possessing 40 grams or more of fentanyl with intent to distribute. But the scale of the operation appears to have escalated. On June 30th, authorities claim they found a staggering 400 grams or more of fentanyl in Scott’s possession, along with cocaine, and a loaded firearm connected to the drug trafficking.
Federal prosecutors aren’t messing around. Scott faces up to 20 years in prison for each distribution charge, the cocaine possession charge, and maintaining a drug house. The fentanyl quantities carry even steeper penalties – a mandatory minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years for the 40-gram count, and a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life for the 400-gram count. And that loaded firearm? That carries a mandatory minimum of 5 years, potentially stacking on top of a life sentence. Any sentence for the firearm charge will be served consecutively to any other sentences imposed.
In a separate indictment, Donquil D. McLemore, 19, of Madison, is also in federal trouble. He’s charged with being a felon in possession of a .380 caliber handgun and ammunition, allegedly found on June 30, 2022. If convicted, McLemore is looking at a maximum of 10 years behind bars. Both investigations were a joint effort by the Madison Police Department, the Dane County Narcotics Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Ginsberg and Steven Anderson are leading the prosecution in both cases. Federal officials are framing these indictments as part of “Project Safe Neighborhoods,” a nationwide program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. The program emphasizes building trust with communities and focusing enforcement efforts on the most pressing threats.
These cases highlight the ongoing struggle against the flood of fentanyl pouring into communities across the country. While authorities tout the success of PSN, the sheer volume of drugs and firearms still hitting the streets suggests a long and brutal fight ahead. Both Scott and McLemore are presumed innocent until proven guilty, but the charges against them paint a grim picture of criminal activity in Madison, Wisconsin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin is handling the prosecution.
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- Jeffrey R Jones, Operation Legend Drug Trafficking, WI 2020 · Wisconsin
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Press Release
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