Wood County Man Sentenced for Possession and Felon Possessing a Firearm

Thursday, August 17th, 2023 -- 12:00 PM

Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that John W. Andereggen, 56, Vesper, Wisconsin was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 138 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm as a felon.

Andereggen pleaded guilty to these charges on May 11th. In September 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a controlled buy of methamphetamine from Andereggen at a camper that Andereggen kept in the rural woods of Wood County.

Officers obtained a search warrant for the camper and discovered over 600 grams of methamphetamine and 100 grams of cocaine in and around the camper. They also discovered four firearms and ammunition.

At the time of the search, Andereggen was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms. Andereggen was interviewed and admitted to selling large amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine in the months leading up to the search.

At sentencing, Judge Peterson noted the highly aggravating circumstances of the offenses, including the heavy drug amounts and the presence of dangerous weapons, including a sawed-off shotgun. The large amounts of drugs in this case had a significant negative impact on a small community.

He also noted Andereggen’s long criminal history, which spanned 33 criminal offenses from age 21 to age 56.  Ultimately, Judge Peterson ruled that a long sentence was needed to address the severe nature of the drug and gun offenses and to protect the public from Andereggen’s criminal nature.

The charges against Andereggen were the result of an investigation conducted by the Wood County Sheriff’s Department; the Marathon County Sheriff’s Department; Marshfield, Wisconsin Rapids, Nekoosa, Stevens Point, and Plover Police Departments; the Central Wisconsin Drug Task Force; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anita Marie Boor prosecuted this case. This case was prosecuted in part as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime.

The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.

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