Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Matthew J. Yancey, 23, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 7 years in federal prison for distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Yancey pled guilty to this charge on February 24, 2023.

Between June 13 and July 20, 2022, Yancey sold methamphetamine to an undercover officer in Madison, including a sale on July 7 that totaled 55.6 grams. Following Yancey’s arrest, officers searched the residence where he was staying and found fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

At sentencing, Judge Peterson stated that protection of the public “is the primary driver” of his sentence. The judge addressed the gravity of the conduct, calling this a “serious drug crime.” The judge remarked that Yancey had an “unrelenting criminal history.” The judge observed that Yancey had not “demonstrated yet a real ability to succeed in the community.” This is Yancey’s second federal conviction.

The charges against Yancey were the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Dane County Narcotics Task Force. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn E. Ginsberg.