U.S. Department
of Justice
Press Release
Grand Jury Returns Indictments
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Wisconsin
MADISON, WIS. -- A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted, the sentencing of a defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Four Charged with Methamphetamine Conspiracy
Joshua Robertson, 25, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Tyler Stratton-Anstice, 22, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, Christopher Anstice, 45, Mazomanie, Wisconsin, and Sara Sullivan, 40, Eau Claire, are charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that the conspiracy operated from November 2017 through January 2018 and that it involved 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
The indictment also charges Anstice with being a felon in possession of firearms, alleging that on December 7, 2017, he possessed a .22 caliber handgun and a shotgun. The indictment also charges Robertson with three counts of distributing methamphetamine in January 2018 and with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment alleges that on January 21, 2018, he possessed a 9 mm handgun. The last count of the indictment charges that on January 28, 2018, Robertson and Stratton-Anstice possessed 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
Robertson, Stratton-Anstice, and Anstice originally were charged with these offenses in an indictment returned by the grand jury on March 28. The superseding indictment adds Sullivan to the conspiracy charge. The four defendants are all in custody. Anstice and Stratton-Anstice are father and son.
If convicted, each of the defendants faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison on the conspiracy charge. Robertson and Stratton-Anstice also face this penalty on the charge of possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The felon in possession of a firearm charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years, and the distribution of methamphetamine charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years.
The charges against these four defendants are the result of an investigation by the West Central Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner.
Juneau County Man Charged with Child Pornography Crimes
Steven M. Brown, 65, Camp Douglas, Wisconsin, is charged with two counts of receiving a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment alleges that on January 5, 2017, Brown received such a depiction in an image sent via Facebook, and on February 23, 2018, Brown downloaded a video containing such a depiction. The indictment also charges Brown with possessing a hard drive containing visual depictions of child pornography, and that at least one of the depictions involved a minor who had not attained 12 years of age. The indictment alleges that Brown possessed the hard drive on April 4, 2018.
Brown previously was charged with one count of receiving child pornography in a federal complaint filed on April 4. He made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Madison that day, and his arraignment is scheduled for April 19. He has been held in federal custody since his arrest on April 4.
If convicted, Brown faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison on each charge of receiving child pornography, and a maximum of 20 years on the charge of possession of child pornography. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman.
Prison Inmate Charged with Assault
Carl Richardson, 39, an inmate of the Federal Correctional Institution at Oxford, Wisconsin, is charged with assaulting an individual with the intent to commit murder, and with assaulting the individual with a dangerous weapon and with intent to do bodily harm. The indictment alleges that the assault occurred on November 5, 2017 at FCI-Oxford.
If convicted, Richardson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the assault with intent to commit murder, and 10 years for the assault with a dangerous weapon. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren Halverson.
Updated April 18, 2018
Topics
Drug Trafficking
Project Safe Childhood
Violent Crime
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