The Sconi

John A. Soung, 48, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley and will be followed by five years of supervised release. Soung pleaded guilty to the charge on June 5, 2025.

In July 2024, authorities were alerted by a confidential source about a large quantity of methamphetamine stored in an Eau Claire storage unit. After obtaining a search warrant, investigators found approximately six pounds of methamphetamine in a backpack inside the unit. Records indicated that Soung rented the storage space, and he later admitted using it to store methamphetamine for distribution in the Eau Claire area.

Soung was arrested on July 12, 2024 during a traffic stop. Officers found a 9mm handgun in his vehicle, which Soung admitted belonged to him. Due to prior felony convictions, Soung is prohibited from legally possessing firearms.

Judge Conley described the case as “a great escalation” in Soung’s history of methamphetamine dealing and noted that Soung was illegally possessing a firearm while regularly distributing methamphetamine.

The investigation involved multiple agencies: the West Central Drug Task Force, Eau Claire Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, Clark County Sheriff’s Department, and assistance from the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. The latter includes federal agents from ATF and task force officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Levins prosecuted the case.

Federal criminal cases involving drugs and firearms are part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), as well as protecting communities from violent crime through coordinated efforts such as OCDETFs and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).