Eau Claire Man Sentenced to 11 Years on Methamphetamine Charge

MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Steven Gwiazda, 38, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William Conley to 11 years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute.  Gwiazda pleaded guilty to this charge on September 28, 2018. 

On March 29, 2018, Gwiazda was arrested in Eau Claire on an outstanding warrant.  Following his arrest, law enforcement officers searched Gwiazda’s vehicle and found 11 separate bags containing a total of 171 grams of methamphetamine.  

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Conley found that Gwiazda was a danger to society based on his lengthy criminal history, which included six prior felony convictions.  Judge Conley also noted that Gwiazda was on probation from a prior felony drug conviction at the time of his arrest in Eau Claire.

The charge against Gwiazda was the result of an investigation conducted by the West Central Drug Task Force, the Eau Claire Police Department, the Eau Claire County District Attorney’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner.