Madison Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Drug & Gun Offenses

 MADISON, WIS. - Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Demarious Gray, 29, Madison, Wisconsin pleaded guilty and was sentenced November 9, 2020, by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to three years in prison for possessing heroin and cocaine with the intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime.

In 2013, Gray was convicted in state court of an armed robbery in Wisconsin where he stole approximately $5,000 from a young woman at gunpoint and then threatened to kill her if she called the police.  He was given an eight-year prison sentence that was stayed for a term of probation.  In 2015, his probation was revoked after Gray was found with a gun and convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

On October 9, 2017, Gray came into contact with law enforcement while driving and was found to be in possession of crack cocaine, heroin, and a .40 caliber Glock handgun.  He subsequently was indicted by a federal grand jury.  During the plea hearing on Monday, Gray admitted that he intended to sell the drugs and that the handgun was used to assist in his drug trafficking.

At sentencing, Judge Peterson noted that this was a very serious offense, that the heroin was laced with Fentanyl, and that Gray was armed with handgun and had a lot of ammunition in the car.  The judge commented that videos found on Gray’s cell phone appeared to be him showing off with the gun.  Judge Peterson said that after Gray’s brother was shot and killed in 2017, Gray should have known better but that his response was to become a part of the problem.  In arriving at a three-year consecutive sentence in the federal case, the court considered that Gray had already served three years in prison on a state revocation.

The charges against Gray were the result of an investigation conducted by Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan. 

This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime.  The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.