FEDS: Hot pursuit and drugs land Wisconsin man 7 year sentence

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Jacob L. Gould 34, Weston, Wis. was sentenced Thursday to 7 years in federal prison for possessing 40 grams or more of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Gould pleaded guilty to this charge on October 25, 2023, according to court documents.

Gould was investigated for drug trafficking after receiving information from several confidential informants, authorities said.

On January 6, 2023, law enforcement officers discovered Gould had visited the location of his drug supplier. Officers attempted to stop and arrest him, but Gould fled, leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase that reached speeds of 112 miles per hour, officials noted.

Law enforcement officers eventually stopped Gould’s car, but Gould fled on foot and threw a bag along the way, officials said.

Officers ultimately arrested Gould and recovered the bag, which contained 102 grams of fentanyl, authorities said.

During a post-arrest interview, Gould admitted he had picked up the 100 grams of fentanyl to sell it. He also admitted picking up 70 grams of fentanyl days prior for the same purpose.

Officers searched Gould following his arrest and, in his pocket, found a key to a safe. Law enforcement then searched Gould’s home and located the safe. Inside, they found a Glock handgun, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.

At sentencing, Judge Conley described Gould’s fentanyl trafficking as a serious offense that endangered the community.

The charge against Gould was the result of an investigation conducted by FBI’s Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force, comprised of investigators from the FBI, Everest Metro Police Department, Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin State Patrol, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Wausau Police Department and Wisconsin National Guard Counter Drug Program, with the assistance of the Marathon County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anita Marie Boor and Jennifer Remington prosecuted this case.