Source: United States Department of Justice News
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jason Hall, 27, Madison, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to six years in prison for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Hall pleaded guilty to this charge on October 31, 2022.
The government’s investigation revealed that Hall purchased large amounts of cocaine from co-defendants Winfield Agee and Darryl McDonald in Chicago, Illinois between 2018 and 2020. After returning to Madison, Hall would sell the cocaine to a variety of customers. The investigation also revealed that Hall’s girlfriend, co-defendant Kiayla Alston, and his mother, co-defendant Nikia Cannon, actively assisted his cocaine trafficking activity.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Peterson concluded that a significant sentence was warranted because Hall was responsible for bringing a large amount of cocaine into the Madison area for a significant period of time. Judge Peterson stated that Hall “leaned into” the drug trafficking lifestyle and was motivated by the allure of easy money. Judge Peterson noted that Hall had multiple prior drug trafficking felony convictions and prior jail sentences had not deterred him from dealing drugs.
A total of eight individuals have been charged for participating in the cocaine distribution scheme. Seven individuals have pleaded guilty, including Winfield Agee, Kiayla Alston, and Nikia Cannon. The remaining defendant, Darryl McDonald, is scheduled for a plea hearing on March 15, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.
The charge against Hall is the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Madison Police Department, and the Dane County Narcotics Task Force. The investigation was conducted and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner is handling the prosecution.