Madison, Wis. – In a heavy-handed blow to the fentanyl trade, Brianna M. Reno, 27, from Sun Prairie, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 7 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess and distribute at least 40 grams of fentanyl. The sentence will be followed by 5 years of supervised release.
Reno entered a guilty plea on April 16, 2024, marking the culmination of an intense investigation that led to her conviction.
The saga began on January 26, 2023, when law enforcement intercepted two suspicious packages shipping from Arizona to Madison. A search warrant was obtained, and officers discovered stuffed animals containing around 2.2 kilograms of counterfeit prescription pills. Over 40,000 pills were seized in total, with fentanyl detected in the substances.
The government’s probe revealed that Reno had orchestrated the shipment of fentanyl pills from Arizona to Madison through co-defendant Keyshawna D. Draper. Co-defendants Jontell C. Shepherd and Alexis K. Davis were nabbed during a controlled delivery of one package.
During sentencing, Judge Peterson highlighted the perilous nature of fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills, emphasizing that their deceptive appearance belied their deadly content. The judge also commented on Reno’s exploitation of drug addiction for profit.
All four defendants charged in this trafficking ring have pleaded guilty. Shepherd and Draper are set to be sentenced on July 23, 2024, with Davis facing his sentence on July 25, 2024. The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Levins prosecuted the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Wisconsin
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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