Kevin Murphy
For the Times
MADISON - A Brodhead man who was a chief assistant in an eight-person conspiracy that sold about nine pounds of methamphetamine in southern Wisconsin pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to conspiring to distribute the controlled substance.
James Nehls, 30, admitted in court Thursday to picking up several shipments of methamphetamine in the Madison area that had been sent from California at the direction of Christopher Dutton, 43, Madison.
Nehls was the fourth co-conspirator to plead guilty or agree to plead guilty to a conspiracy charge. Dutton and Sean Brown, 33, Encino, California, have pled guilty, and Brandon Frank, 42, Argyle, is scheduled to plead guilty Sept. 12.
Nehls was Dutton's "main guy," trusted to accept large quantities of methamphetamine which he helped Dutton repackage and sell to "a lot of customers in southern Wisconsin," Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Schlipper said.
Nehls sold methamphetamine on three occasions to Olivia Halvorson of Browntown, fronting her the drugs before getting the payment. Nehls was not present when Halvorson went to his job site, so Halvorson paid Dutton $700 directly, Schlipper said.
After learning about the conspiracy, authorities set up a controlled delivery of methamphetamine from California on Aug. 1, 2016 during which Nehls picked up the package at the Baraboo post office.
Frank later replaced Nehls as Dutton's "main guy" for reasons Schlipper did not disclose. Dutton paid Frank in one-eighth-ounce quantities of methamphetamine twice a week, Schlipper said.
Neither Nehls nor his attorney, Mark Frederick, disputed Schlipper's statements.
In a question-and-answer session with District Judge William Conley, Nehls admitted to providing customers to Dutton and said he had been selling methamphetamine before working for the Dutton conspiracy which operated between Sept. 2015 and Feb. 8, 2017.
Nehls faces maximum statutory penalties of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and lifetime supervised release at his Nov. 15 sentencing before Conley. Nehls is in custody at the Sauk County Jail.
Nehls faces less severe penalties under the advisory sentencing guideline which factor in the amount of drugs involved, length of the conspiracy, role in the offense and prior convictions. Nehls has a "lengthy record," said Conley, "but you've stepped into the deep end of the pool here."
Dutton's sentencing is set for Oct. 24 and Brown's is Nov. 2.
The other co-conspirators are being detained until their Dec. 4 trial date except Halvorson. She has been charged with three distribution counts and faces revocation of her pre-trial release after testing positive in a July 31 drug test, according to court records.
Other individuals charged with counts of methamphetamine distribution or possession are Sean McLyman, 42, Madison; Amanda Brown, 30, Encino, California, sister of Sean Brown; and Joel Ringelstetter, 48, Lone Rock.
For the Times
MADISON - A Brodhead man who was a chief assistant in an eight-person conspiracy that sold about nine pounds of methamphetamine in southern Wisconsin pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to conspiring to distribute the controlled substance.
James Nehls, 30, admitted in court Thursday to picking up several shipments of methamphetamine in the Madison area that had been sent from California at the direction of Christopher Dutton, 43, Madison.
Nehls was the fourth co-conspirator to plead guilty or agree to plead guilty to a conspiracy charge. Dutton and Sean Brown, 33, Encino, California, have pled guilty, and Brandon Frank, 42, Argyle, is scheduled to plead guilty Sept. 12.
Nehls was Dutton's "main guy," trusted to accept large quantities of methamphetamine which he helped Dutton repackage and sell to "a lot of customers in southern Wisconsin," Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Schlipper said.
Nehls sold methamphetamine on three occasions to Olivia Halvorson of Browntown, fronting her the drugs before getting the payment. Nehls was not present when Halvorson went to his job site, so Halvorson paid Dutton $700 directly, Schlipper said.
After learning about the conspiracy, authorities set up a controlled delivery of methamphetamine from California on Aug. 1, 2016 during which Nehls picked up the package at the Baraboo post office.
Frank later replaced Nehls as Dutton's "main guy" for reasons Schlipper did not disclose. Dutton paid Frank in one-eighth-ounce quantities of methamphetamine twice a week, Schlipper said.
Neither Nehls nor his attorney, Mark Frederick, disputed Schlipper's statements.
In a question-and-answer session with District Judge William Conley, Nehls admitted to providing customers to Dutton and said he had been selling methamphetamine before working for the Dutton conspiracy which operated between Sept. 2015 and Feb. 8, 2017.
Nehls faces maximum statutory penalties of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and lifetime supervised release at his Nov. 15 sentencing before Conley. Nehls is in custody at the Sauk County Jail.
Nehls faces less severe penalties under the advisory sentencing guideline which factor in the amount of drugs involved, length of the conspiracy, role in the offense and prior convictions. Nehls has a "lengthy record," said Conley, "but you've stepped into the deep end of the pool here."
Dutton's sentencing is set for Oct. 24 and Brown's is Nov. 2.
The other co-conspirators are being detained until their Dec. 4 trial date except Halvorson. She has been charged with three distribution counts and faces revocation of her pre-trial release after testing positive in a July 31 drug test, according to court records.
Other individuals charged with counts of methamphetamine distribution or possession are Sean McLyman, 42, Madison; Amanda Brown, 30, Encino, California, sister of Sean Brown; and Joel Ringelstetter, 48, Lone Rock.