Source: United States Attorneys General
Headline: Ninth Member of Methamphetamine Conspiracy Sentenced
MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Joel Ringelstetter, 48, Lone Rock, Wis., was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to one year and one day in prison for knowingly and intentionally possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Ringelstetter pleaded guilty to this charge on November 21, 2017.
During sentencing, Judge Conley described Ringelstetter as a low-level dealer within a larger conspiracy. The larger operation was responsible for numerous pounds of methamphetamine shipped from California to Wisconsin. The amount attributable to Ringelstetter, conservatively, was over 10 ounces of methamphetamine. During a search of his home, law enforcement officers located drug paraphernalia and several firearms.
Ringelstetter and 10 other individuals were charged between four indictments returned by federal grand juries for their roles in this methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. Nine of the 11 individuals charged in the indictments have pleaded guilty; Ringelstetter is the ninth to be sentenced.
The charge against Ringelstetter was the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration- Madison, Wisconsin and Los Angeles, California; Dane County Narcotics Task Force; Dane County Sheriff’s Department; Madison Police Department; UW-Madison Police Department; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Sauk County Drug Task Force; Richland-Iowa-Grant Drug Task Force; Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office; State Line Area Narcotics Team; and Rock County Special Investigations Unit. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Reinhard and Diane Schlipper.