Chippewa County Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Armed Methamphetamine Trafficking

MADISON, WIS. - Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Patrick J. Buswell, 51, Holcombe, Wisconsin, was sentenced last week by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 9 years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine intended for distribution and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. Buswell pleaded guilty to these charges on January 16, 2026. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release.

On June 15, 2025, Buswell led law enforcement on a high-speed chase, reaching speeds over 100 miles per hour on his motorcycle. After reaching a dead end, Buswell continued to flee on foot. When arrested, he was found with over 50 grams of methamphetamine in his pockets, along with $1,600 in cash. In a small cooler in his motorcycle, law enforcement found a loaded firearm, baggies containing additional controlled substances, and digital scales.

At sentencing, Judge Peterson evaluated Buswell's actions in this case along with his lengthy criminal history. Judge Peterson recognized the need to protect the community from Buswell's dangerous behavior, including his history of fleeing law enforcement. He urged Buswell to take advantage of prison substance abuse programming.

The charges against Buswell were the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, Rusk County Sherriff's Office, Chippewa County Sherriff's Office, West Central Drug Task Force, Clark County Sherriff's Office, and the Ladysmith Police Department. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lennon prosecuted this case.

Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns 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).