MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Marcus Catchings, 43, Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to five years in prison for possessing 500 grams or more of cocaine with intent to distribute. Catchings pleaded guilty to this charge on September 14, 2021.
On April 9, 2021, a Wisconsin Dells police officer pulled over a black Lexus SUV for excessively dark window tint. Marcus Catchings was the passenger in the Lexus and his wife was driving. After a positive K-9 alert, officers searched the Lexus and found a grocery bag containing approximately 381 grams of cocaine behind the driver’s seat. In the same area, officers found a cereal box containing approximately 533 grams of cocaine. During his plea hearing in September, Catchings admitted that he intended to distribute the 914 grams of cocaine in the Wisconsin Dells area.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Conley noted that Catchings had previously been convicted of murder and had served over 20 years in prison as a result. Judge Conley also noted that Catchings was released from prison for the murder conviction in 2019 and was on parole at the time of his arrest.
The charge against Catchings was a result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Dells Police Department, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner handled the prosecution.
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