Wausau Man First to Plead Guilty and Be Sentenced In Large Methamphetamine Operation

MADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Meng Xiong, 26, Wausau, Wisconsin was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to five years in prison for distributing methamphetamine.  Xiong pleaded guilty to this charge on March 10, 2020.

Meng Xiong was convicted of distributing methamphetamine as part of a larger methamphetamine conspiracy that existed, conservatively, from November 12, 2018 through June 13, 2019, in the Wausau, Wisconsin area.  It is believed that the leader of the conspiracy was bringing pounds of methamphetamine into the Wausau area from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.  Law enforcement agents seized almost five pounds of methamphetamine in connection with this case, though agents believe the conspiracy was responsible for well over ten pounds flowing into the Wausau area.

Xiong was charged with distributing methamphetamine that he purchased from the leader of the conspiracy on two occasions, though he had been involved with the leader of this drug-trafficking operation for several years. Conservatively, Xiong’s relevant conduct included over 90 grams of methamphetamine.  While this is Meng Xiong’s first federal conviction, he was on criminal supervision in Wisconsin when he committed this offense.

Meng Xiong and ten other individuals were charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in September 2019 for their roles in this methamphetamine distribution conspiracy.  Meng Xiong is the first to plead guilty and be sentenced.

The charge against Meng Xiong was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force; Marathon County Sheriff’s Office; Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation; Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office; Wausau Police Department; Everest Metro Police Department; and Wisconsin State Patrol.  The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Schlipper.