MADISON, WI – A Milwaukee man is staring down a potential life sentence after a federal grand jury indicted him on a slew of drug and weapons charges, authorities announced Wednesday. Travis Lee Young, 38, is accused of running a mobile drug operation out of a motel room in Eagle River, Wisconsin, back on August 3, 2022. The feds say they found him with enough methamphetamine to land him a decade behind bars, at a minimum.
The indictment details that Young possessed 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, along with fentanyl and cocaine, also intended for distribution. He’s also charged with renting a motel room specifically to facilitate the drug trafficking. Adding to the heat, Young is a convicted felon already, and was allegedly found with a handgun and ammunition. That gun, according to the indictment, had its serial number deliberately scratched off – a move meant to hide its origin and history.
If convicted on the methamphetamine charge, Young faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison. The fentanyl and cocaine charges carry a potential 20-year sentence each, as does the charge of renting the motel room for drug distribution. Possession of the obliterated-serial-number firearm adds another five years, and the illegal possession of a firearm by a felon could add another ten. Crucially, any sentence for possessing the gun *during* the drug trafficking operation will be served consecutively – meaning on top of any other sentence he receives.
The bust was the result of a collaborative effort between the Vilas County Sheriff’s Office, the Eagle River Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Ginsberg will be prosecuting the case. Meanwhile, another Wisconsin man is also facing serious federal charges. John W. Andereggen, 55, of Vesper, Wisconsin, was indicted on similar drug and gun offenses.
Andereggen is accused of possessing over 500 grams of methamphetamine and cocaine with intent to distribute, and being a felon in possession of firearms. On October 6, 2022, authorities allegedly found him with five guns – three rifles, a 9mm pistol, and a brutally illegal sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun. If convicted, Andereggen could face life in prison on the methamphetamine charge, and up to 20 years for the cocaine. The firearms charge carries a maximum of 10 years. The investigation involved multiple county sheriffs’ offices, several police departments, the Central Wisconsin Drug Task Force, and the ATF. Anita Marie Boor is the Assistant U.S. Attorney on this case.
Finally, a Fitchburg man, Derrick W. Johnson, 25, was also indicted Wednesday, charged with being a felon in possession of a loaded 9mm handgun and ammunition on December 5, 2022. A conviction could send Johnson away for up to 10 years. The Fitchburg Police Department and the ATF investigated. These indictments highlight a continued focus by federal authorities on stemming the flow of drugs and illegal firearms across Wisconsin, and bringing those responsible to justice. The cases are ongoing, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Related Federal Cases
- Carl Duckett, Drug Conspiracy, IA, 2023 · Illinois
- No Defendant, Human Trafficking Conference, Milwaukee WI, 2024 · Illinois
- Joseph Komanekin Jr, Synthetic Drug Trafficking, WI 2017 · Illinois
- Russell Cary Owens, Gun Possession, W. Va. 2024 · West Virginia
- Brady Pomeroy, Federal Drug Trafficking, WI 2017 · Wisconsin
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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