Tom Lewis, 29, of De Soto, Wisconsin, is headed to federal prison for three years after being sentenced Tuesday for his role in a La Crosse methamphetamine distribution ring. Lewis pleaded guilty on February 19, 2019, to using a telephone to facilitate the distribution of meth, a charge that capped off a swift return to crime just days after his release from state custody.
Lewis was the final defendant sentenced in a six-person conspiracy led by Roberta Draheim, the alleged ringleader of a meth operation that reached from La Crosse to California. After Draheim’s prior source vanished, Lewis agreed to help her secure two ounces of meth from a new supplier out West. While awaiting the shipment, he used phone communications to set up distribution deals—evidence that federal prosecutors say sealed his fate.
U.S. District Judge William M. Conley handed down the sentence, noting Lewis’s immediate return to drug activity just five days after being released from state supervision. The judge emphasized Lewis’s continued involvement in selling multiple controlled substances, including meth, despite being under state oversight—a fact that undermined any argument for leniency.
Lewis joins five others who have already pleaded guilty in connection with Draheim’s operation. Federal authorities say the conspiracy was part of a broader network that exploited postal channels to transport bulk meth across state lines. The package in question was mailed from California and intercepted as part of a coordinated investigation.
The probe was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration across Wisconsin and California, with critical support from the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, La Crosse Police Department, Prairie du Chien Police Department, and Dane County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators relied heavily on wiretaps and postal surveillance to dismantle the ring.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Schlipper prosecuted the case. With Lewis’s sentencing, the DOJ closes the books on the final participant in what officials call a dangerous and organized effort to flood Wisconsin communities with high-purity methamphetamine.
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Key Facts
- State: Wisconsin
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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