Madison Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking (DOJ)

MADISON, WIS. - Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Battites Wesley, 55, Madison, Wisconsin was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 84 months in federal prison for possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine intended for distribution and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Wesley pleaded guilty to these charges on March 19, 2026.

While on state supervision following his release from prison for shooting someone, officers arrested Wesley during a traffic stop on September 5, 2024. When arrested, he possessed over 85 grams of methamphetamine, a loaded Beretta handgun, over $2,400, and two digital scales. During an interview with law enforcement, Wesley admitted to dealing various drugs and acknowledged the presence of the handgun found by law enforcement.

At sentencing, Judge Peterson expressed concern over Wesley's decades-long pattern of criminal conduct and violations while on supervision. Judge Peterson also found Wesley's possession of a loaded firearm particularly dangerous, given Wesley's prior conviction for shooting another person.

The charges against Wesley were the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ayala prosecuted this case.

Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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