La Crosse Man Sentenced to 6 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking

MADISON, WIS. - Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Eugene Spears, 42, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 6 years in federal prison for possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine intended for distribution. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Spears pleaded guilty this charge on March 23, 2026.

On February 28, 2025, law enforcement learned Spears was traveling to a drug transaction and stopped his vehicle in Ferryville, Wisconsin. Agents found over 250 grams of methamphetamine that Spears admitted he intended to sell to multiple individuals. At the time of the traffic stop, Spears was out on bond for a state drug case.

At sentencing, Judge Peterson acknowledged Spears's substantial substance addiction was a driving factor for his criminality. However, Judge Peterson noted that Spears's lengthy criminal history, poor performance on supervision, and escalation in the quantity of drugs he was distributing warranted a long sentence to protect the public and promote deterrence.

The charge against Spears was the result of an investigation conducted by the Prairie du Chien Police Department, Crawford County Sheriff's Office, City of La Crosse Police Department, and Wisconsin State Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ayala prosecuted this case.

Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs are part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).