Drug Investigation in Dane County Successfully Concludes After Last Defendant Sentenced

MADISON, WIS. - Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced the successful conclusion of a multi-year drug trafficking investigation in Dane County, following the sentencing of the last of thirteen defendants.

U.S. Attorney Elgersma praised the tireless efforts of the law enforcement agents throughout the State who worked together to dismantle this large-scale narcotics distribution organization. "These thirteen convictions mark a decisive blow against a multi-state criminal organization that threatened the safety of our communities. The success of this investigation is the direct result of a coordinated effort between federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who worked together, through a whole of government strategy, to dismantle a high-level fentanyl trafficking operation. I commend the investigators who worked tirelessly to protect families and hold the individuals who sell this poison accountable."

The investigation revealed a large-scale drug trafficking organization led by Lloyd McKire-Bennett that was responsible for bringing kilograms of fentanyl pills into Madison from Arizona. Law enforcement began investigating the organization in January 2022, following the seizure of two mail packages that each contained a kilogram of fentanyl pills (almost 20,000 pills in total). Both packages were mailed by individuals in Arizona to addresses in Madison.

The year-long investigation involved twenty-three controlled purchases of fentanyl pills, the seizure of a third drug-laden mail package (which contained 1.75 kilograms of fentanyl pills), arrests and warranted searches of residences and vehicles where narcotics and firearms were seized. As part of the investigation, officers seized almost 5 kilograms of fentanyl pills, 10 firearms, and over $97,000 in U.S. currency. Photos from the case include:

Photos of two kilograms of fentanyl pills seized from the mail in January 2022.

Photo of fentanyl, cocaine, and cash seized from McKire-Bennett's residence on November 28, 2022.

The following defendants were sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson as part of the federal prosecution:

• Messiah A. Fleming, 24, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced in December 2023 to 4 years in federal prison followed by 4 years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm as a felon and possessing fentanyl intended for distribution.

• Lloyd M. McKire-Bennett, 30, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced in May 2024 to 164 months in federal prison followed by 6 years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possessing firearms and ammunition as a felon.

• Deshawn P. Davis, 31, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced in May 2024 to 66 months in federal prison followed by 4 years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

• Dejon C. Glover, 25, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced in May 2024 to 4 ½ years in federal prison followed by 5 years of supervised release, for attempting to possess fentanyl intended for distribution.

• Alicia M. Allen, 40, Windsor, Wisconsin, was sentenced in May 2024 to 4 years in federal prison followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possessing 40 grams or more of fentanyl intended for distribution and money laundering.

• Yoshi R. Walker, 27, New Brighton, Minnesota, was sentenced in July 2024 to 6 years in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, for attempting to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

• Christopher S. Wilson, 30, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced in July 2024 to 5 years in federal prison followed by 4 years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

• John A. Maser, 37, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced in August 2024 to 4 months in federal prison followed by 5 years of supervised release, for attempting to possess fentanyl intended for distribution.

• Davonte F. King, 31, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced in September 2024 to 7 years in federal prison followed by 6 years of supervised release, for possessing fentanyl intended for distribution and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

• Tyez D. D. Boyd, 28, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced in November 2024 to 3 years in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm as a felon.

• Dantrell T. Stevenson, 33, Matteson, Illinois, was sentenced in December 2024 to 2 years in federal prison followed by 4 years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute fentanyl.

• Jessica E. Leyvas, 40, Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced in January 2026 to 5 years of probation, for attempting to distribute fentanyl.

• Kevin L. Simmons, 32, Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced on June 30, 2026, to 12 years in federal prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute fentanyl.

The charges against these individuals were the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and Dane County Narcotics Task Force. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the case. The task force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. The investigation was awarded the 2023 Wisconsin Narcotics Officers Association Investigation of the Year. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Program initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of federal law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.