Fox Valley man sentenced to 14½ years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl trafficking, firearms

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Gene W. Wolf (26) of Menasha, Wis. was sentenced to 174 months in federal prison by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach on Feb. 27, 2024, according to Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

According to court records, on August 31, 2023, agents searched Wolf’s residence in Menasha, Wisconsin, and located three handguns, over 9,000 fentanyl pills, and over $50,000 cash.

One of the handguns was a “ghost gun” that was not marked with a serial number. Wolf, a felon with several prior convictions for narcotics trafficking, was prohibited from possessing firearms. After being charged with gun and drug trafficking offenses related to the search, Wolf pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm and acknowledged his role in fentanyl trafficking in the Fox Valley area, according to authorities.

The pills recovered from Wolf’s residence were in the form of counterfeit “Percocet” pills that appeared to be legitimate. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), 7 out of 10 fentanyl pills seized by the DEA contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.

“Fentanyl continues to cut a path of death and devastation in communities across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad.

“Individuals who sell this extremely dangerous substance – which in this case was disguised as another controlled substance – appropriately face substantial prison terms. This is especially so when the trafficking is accompanied by the unlawful possession of ghost guns and other firearms. Working with our federal, state, local, and tribal partners to combat fentanyl trafficking and firearms offenses remains among our office’s highest priorities,” Haanstad added.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said, “Fentanyl is a scourge on our communities, and we must continue working to keep Wisconsinites safe from this extremely dangerous drug.”

“Thank you to the investigators whose work led to this significant sentence for the defendant in this case,” Kaul added.

This case was investigated by the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group – Drug Unit (LWAM), with assistance from the United States Marshals Service, the Appleton Police Department, and the Menasha Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Alex Duros prosecuted the case.