MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Michael C. Henderson, 52, Chicago, Illinois was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 84 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Henderson pleaded guilty to this charge on July 9, 2021. Judge Peterson also ordered Henderson to forfeit $22,763.59.
In 2020, federal and state law enforcement agencies started investigating several known cocaine traffickers in Dane County, Wisconsin. As part of this joint investigation, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) obtained state-authorized wiretaps on two phones belonging to a suspected trafficker in Madison. Over the course of several months, investigators intercepted numerous calls and text messages between the trafficker and Henderson. Most of these calls centered on Henderson supplying cocaine to the trafficker, negotiating lower costs from the source-of-supply, improving the quality of the cocaine, and recruiting additional customers in Dane County. The conspiracy took place from September through December 2020 and resulted in Henderson selling approximately 9 kilograms of cocaine to the trafficker.
On December 8, 2020, agents from DCI and officers from the Chicago Police Department arrested Henderson in Chicago after the investigators arranged for the purchase of 2 kilograms of cocaine from Henderson. During a post-arrest interview, Henderson admitted he planned to sell the drugs to the Madison-based trafficker.
Officers and agents also searched several houses that Henderson used in Chicago and found $52,600 in cash, a loaded semi-automatic pistol, 100 grams of marijuana, mobile phones, an electronic money counter, and bank deposit receipts. Investigators traced these receipts to a bank account that held $22,763.59 in drug proceeds. The $52,600 in cash was the subject of a forfeiture action in Illinois.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson explained that he felt compelled to impose a significant term of imprisonment because of the seriousness of Henderson’s crime and the quantity of drugs involved. Judge Peterson specifically noted that, while Henderson did not have a large customer base, he had one customer who sold a substantial amount of cocaine in the Madison area.
The charge against Henderson was the result of an investigation conducted by DCI, the Dane County Narcotics Task Force, the Chicago Police Department, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma prosecuted this case.
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