Former Keshena resident Anthony Brown, Jr. has been handed an eight-year federal prison sentence for cocaine distribution and firearms possession on the Menominee Indian Reservation. The 50-year-old defendant also faces a subsequent five-year term of supervised release after the completion of his imprisonment, as announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The conviction followed Brown's guilty plea on June 14, acknowledged by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach. Caught during a hand-to-hand drug transaction early on New Year's Day, investigators from the Menominee Tribal Police Department had recovered over 15 grams of cocaine and $4400 in cash on Brown’s person, and also a .380 caliber gun from his vehicle laced with his DNA. The transaction took place in a business parking lot on the reservation. Observing the severity of the crime, Judge Griesbach emphasized deterrence and community protection during sentencing, while noting the need to incapacitate Brown, given his history with drug dealing convictions, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The subsequent arrest of Brown on January 15, presented further complications when he was discovered unconscious behind the wheel of a stopped car, with cocaine in his possession. A warranted search of his residence yielded a bulk stash of 380 grams of cocaine, drug paraphernalia, ammunition, transaction ledger, and a Glock 21 .45 caliber handgun. As part of the legal proceedings, Brown conceded that items seized by the investigators, including luxury vehicles, shoes, and $7000 in cash, were involved in illegal drug activities, as mentioned by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Investigations by the Menominee Tribal Police and the FBI under the Safe Trails Task Force and the Native American Drug and Gang Initiative led to Brown’s conviction. These joint task forces, comprising federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement, are dedicated to dismantling drug trafficking and violent crime rings on Native American reservations. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier handled the prosecution of the case, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office report.
