DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Western District of Wisconsin

For Immediate Release

Thursday, February 26, 2015
John W. Vaudreuil
, United States Attorney
Contact: Julie Pfluger

Beloit Man Sentenced for Distributing Heroin

MADISON, WIS. -- John W. Vaudreuil, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Marcus Payton, 30, Beloit, Wis., was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 84 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing heroin. Payton pleaded guilty to this crime on December 30, 2014, and has remained in custody since his guilty plea. On October 9, 2014, a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Payton, charging him with distribution of heroin and cocaine on three occasions in 2014, after a confidential informant purchased the drugs from Payton at several locations in Beloit, Wis. Payton’s sentence of 84 months was due in part to his lengthy and violent criminal history. The charges against Payton were the result of an investigation conducted by GROC (pronounced gee-rock), a task force formed through the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Violent Crime Initiative, to address gang and drug-related violence in Rock County through the coordination of investigations among local and federal law enforcement agencies. Its members include the FBI; Rock County Sheriff’s Department; Beloit Police Department; and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie S. Pfluger.
St. Paul Field Division