In early 2022, Investigators with the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office identified Heather Carter, age 49, of Santa Monica, CA, as a person transporting large quantities of methamphetamine from California to Southwest Wisconsin. Once Carter was back in Wisconsin, she would distribute methamphetamine to numerous people in La Crosse, Vernon, Crawford, and Richland Counties.
As a result of the investigation, Carter was intercepted attempting to deliver approximately 422 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine, 248 counterfeit pills that tested positive for Fentanyl, 79 grams of cocaine, and 850 grams of THC Edibles. Following the seizure, a search warrant was executed at 300 Roosevelt Street in the Village of Coon Valley, Wisconsin, where Carter was taken into custody on September 23rd, 2022.
On November 9th, 2022, Carter was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin for a charge of attempting to possess 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. If convicted, Carter faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison. The charge against her is the result of an investigation by the Crawford and Vernon County Sheriffs’ Offices, Coon Valley Police Department, West Central Metropolitan Enforcement Group, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant US. Attorney Chadwick Elgersma is handling the prosecution.