PdC man sentenced to 10 years for possessing meth for distribution
Christopher Fernette, 45, of Prairie du Chien, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 120 months in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, according to Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. Fernette pleaded guilty to this charge on April 6. Judge Conley also ordered Fernette to forfeit $17,200.
During the course of a long-term, multi-agency investigation, law enforcement officers determined that a group of people, including Fernette, distributed significant amounts of methamphetamine in western Wisconsin. Investigators also learned that Fernette purchased methamphetamine from sources-of-supply who lived in multiple states.
On April 3, 2021, investigators followed Fernette as he and a passenger crossed into Wisconsin from Minnesota. When the car stopped at a tavern in Ferryville, a deputy from the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office approached Fernette and asked for permission to pat him down for weapons. Fernette consented to the pat down but attempted to hide a small plastic baggie in his hand. When the deputy questioned Fernette about the object in his hand, Fernette tossed the baggie and became combative. A fight ensued and the deputy eventually detained Fernette.
After the altercation, the deputy located the baggie and determined that it contained a personal use amount of methamphetamine. The deputy then found a discarded black canvas tool bag in a ditch that contained about three pounds of methamphetamine. The deputy used his canine partner to sniff the car that Fernette had been driving. When the canine alerted, investigators searched the car and found $17,200 in cash.
During a post-arrest interview, Fernette waived his Miranda rights and admitted that he and the passenger drove to Minnesota to purchase the methamphetamine found inside the black canvas bag. Fernette also explained that he and the passenger planned to split the methamphetamine with a third person in Wisconsin.
At sentencing, Judge Conley noted that the three pounds of methamphetamine found on April 3, 2021, likely understated the total amount of methamphetamine that Fernette sold on the street.
The charge against Fernette was the result of an investigation conducted by the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Prairie du Chien Police Department, Richland-Iowa-Grant Task Force, Dakota County (Minnesota) Drug Task Force, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma prosecuted this case.
Prairie du Chien Police Chief Kyle Teynor shared some comments following the sentencing.
“Mr. Fernette was directly responsible for trafficking large quantities of Methamphetamine into the Prairie du Chien area for far too long,” Teynor said. “I am proud of the cooperative effort by all the agencies involved in this investigation. Investigations such as this are a great reminder of how area law enforcement must work together to solve the mutual problem of drug addiction. This case, by no means, concludes those efforts, and the Prairie du Chien Police Department is committed to continuing cooperative efforts to bring these for-profit dealers to justice through our Federal Court System.”
