Madison Man Sentenced to 42 Months for Trafficking Heroin & Cocaine
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jeff C. Starks, 28, Madison, Wisconsin was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 42 months in federal prison for distributing heroin and cocaine. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Starks pleaded guilty to this charge on January 12, 2023.
On three occasions from March 1 to March 7, 2022, Dane County Narcotics Task Force officers purchased fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine from Starks in Madison using a confidential informant.
On March 10, 2022, task force officers executed a search warrant at Starks’ residence in Madison. Starks was arrested coming out of his bedroom. In his bedroom, officers located two handguns, one with a loaded extended magazine, and baggies of drugs packaged for distribution including 26 grams of powder cocaine, 21 grams of crack cocaine, 14 grams of fentanyl, and 12 grams of methamphetamine. Over $4,000 in cash was also found in the bedroom, which included buy money from a prior controlled purchase.
During the time of the controlled buys and the residence search, Starks was out on state bond for two Dane County cases, one involving four counts of first degree recklessly endangering safety and the other involving possession of narcotic drugs and felony bail jumping.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson highlighted the aggravating factors in Starks’ case, specifically, that he was dealing hard drugs including street drugs laced with fentanyl, and that after he had been arrested and released on bond on the state charges, he continued to deal drugs. Judge Peterson also expressed concern over the dangers associated with mixing drug dealing and gun possession.
The charge against Starks was the result of an investigation conducted by the Dane County Narcotics Task Force, Madison Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.
