Chippewa Falls Man Charged with Gun & Drug Crimes

MADISON, Wis. (DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY TIMOTHY M. O’SHEA WESTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN PRESS RELEASE) - In a five-count indictment, Brandon Herman, 42, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, is charged with gun offenses and drug crimes involving methamphetamine and fentanyl. The indictment alleges that on May 24, 2023, Herman was a felon in possession of firearms, that he possessed 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, that he possessed fentanyl with intent to distribute, that he maintained a drug house, and that he possessed a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment alleges that he maintained a place in the Township of Lafayette in Chippewa County for the purpose of distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl, and that he possessed four handguns and a rifle.

If convicted, Herman faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison on the charge of being a felon in possession of firearms, a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life on the charge of possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine for distribution, a maximum of 20 years on the fentanyl charge, and a maximum of 20 years on the charge of maintaining a drug house. The charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime has a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum of life; federal law requires that any sentence imposed on this charge be served consecutive to any other prison sentence imposed.

The charges against Herman are the result of an investigation by the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office, Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Office, West Central Drug Task Force, St. Paul (Minnesota) Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Ginsberg is handling the prosecution.

PRESS RELEASE