John A. Soung, a 48-year-old resident of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The sentencing was delivered by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley and will be followed by five years of supervised release. Soung entered a guilty plea on June 5, 2025.
The case began in July 2024 when investigators received information from a confidential source about a significant quantity of methamphetamine stored in an Eau Claire storage unit. After obtaining a search warrant, authorities found approximately six pounds of methamphetamine inside a backpack located in the unit. Records indicated that Soung had rented the storage space, and he later admitted to using it to store drugs for distribution in the area.
On July 12, 2024, law enforcement arrested Soung during a traffic stop and discovered a 9mm handgun in his vehicle. Soung acknowledged ownership of the firearm but is legally barred from possessing guns due to previous felony convictions.
Judge Conley described the case as a “great escalation” in Soung’s pattern of methamphetamine trafficking and noted that Soung was illegally armed while distributing drugs. “Judge Conley also noted that Soung was illegally possessing a firearm while regularly distributing methamphetamine.”
The investigation involved several 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. This task force includes federal agents from ATF along with state and local officers throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Levins prosecuted the case.
Federal drug and firearm cases like this are part of Operation Take Back America, which brings together resources from various Department of Justice initiatives—including Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN)—to combat illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime.
