Tomah man sentenced for distributing over 500 grams of meth

MADISON, Wis. (WSAW) - U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin Timothy O’Shea announced Friday that Victor Pennington was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William Conley to 12 years in federal prison for distributing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Pennington, 27, of Tomah, was prohibited from legally possessing or purchasing firearms as a result of several felony convictions, including two in Wisconsin, related to meth in 2019. Pennington was charged on Sep. 17, 2021, after leading police on a 33-mile chase extending from Wausau to Shawano County with speeds topping 120 mph. He also attempted to dispose of about 800 grams of meth from ditches and culverts along the chase route.

Law enforcement began their investigation of Pennington in Jan. 2021. During their investigation, officers utilized confidential informants to purchase over 100 grams of meth from him or his co-defendant Lucas Ellwart on three occasions. Officers also determined Pennington utilized another individual, Kyle Ritchie to purchase guns on his behalf. Judge Conley previously sentenced Ellwart and Ritchie to prison last fall for meth and firearm charges.

Judge Conley stated that the length of sentencing was due to the sheer volume of meth the defendant distributed, including to lower-level dealers in central Wisconsin, and his decision to illegally obtain guns and flee from police.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force comprised of investigators from the FBI, Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, Wausau Police Department, Wisconsin DOJ Division of Criminal Investigation, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin State Patrol, Everest Metro Police Department, Wisconsin’s National Guard Counterdrug Program, and the Marathon County District Attorney’s Office.