Wausau Man Indicted for Drug Offenses In Two North-Central Wisconsin Tribal Communities

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 28, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Charles A. Parham a/k/a “Red,” a/k/a “Cuzzo,” with drug crimes taking place on the Menominee Indian Reservation and at a tribal casino on land owned by the Ho-Chunk Nation.

The indictment charged Parham, a 41-year-old formerly of Wausau, as follows:

COUNT	DATE	CHARGE	PENALTY
One	On or about September 29, 2023	Distribution of Heroin, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C)	Maximum of 20 years in prison; up to $1 million fine
Two	On or about October 12, 2023	Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(b)	Mandatory minimum 5 years, up to 40 years in prison; up to $5 million fine

Parham also faces terms of supervised release and special assessments of $100 per count if convicted.

According to filed court documents, on or about September 29, 2023, Parham distributed heroin to another person at a location on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Count Two relates to Parham’s possession with intent to distribute at least 40 grams of a mixture and substance containing Fentanyl, which was at a tribal casino in western Shawano County.

The case was investigated by multiple agencies as part of the Safe Trails Task Force (STTF) and Native American Drug and Gang Initiative (NADGI). NADGI and STTF allow federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement to partner in an effort to combat drug trafficking and violent crime on the Menominee Indian Reservation. STTF members are deputized federal officers who identify and target for prosecution individuals who are involved in distribution of dangerous drug on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Coordination of state resources through NADGI permits efficient communication and evidence processing, which are essential to swift but fair prosecution of offenders.

The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, with assistance from the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force, Shawano County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier will prosecute the case in U.S. District Court in Green Bay.

An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.