ADISON, WIS. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Wisconsin, Western), published as received.

ADISON, WIS. – Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Charles Dickerson, 46, Madison, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty on June 26 to possessing cocaine with intent to distribute cocaine.  Immediately following the guilty plea, U.S. District Judge William M. Conley sentenced Dickerson to 60 months in federal prison.

On October 16, 2019, a confidential informant working with law enforcement officers called Dickerson to buy cocaine.  During the phone call, Dickerson agreed to meet the confidential informant at a Kwik Trip gas station on Fish Hatchery Road in Madison. When Dickerson arrived at the Kwik Trip, officers attempted to perform a traffic stop on his vehicle.  However, Dickerson eluded officers and drove onto Fish Hatchery Road at a high rate of speed. 

Dickerson drove through several red lights on Fish Hatchery Road before making a right turn onto Caddis Bend.  Officers found Dickerson’s unoccupied vehicle a few minutes later on Caddis Bend.  Officers searched the area but could not locate Dickerson.  However, officers recovered 249 grams of cocaine in the middle of Caddis Bend that Dickerson had thrown out of his car before fleeing on foot. 

In imposing the sentence, Judge Conley stated that a 60-month sentence was necessary because Dickerson was involved in selling a significant amount of cocaine and was on supervision in Dane County for a cocaine trafficking felony conviction at the time of attempted cocaine sale. In addition, Judge Conley noted that Dickerson’s decision to flee officers at a high rate of speed was extremely dangerous and put innocent citizens at risk. 

The charge against Dickerson is the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation.  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.  The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron D. Wegner.