A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned an indictment Wednesday against Craig C. Gates, 39, Wausau. Gates is charged with possessing 100 grams or more of heroin with the intent to distribute. He is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment alleges that he possessed the heroin and a loaded semi-automatic handgun on Feb. 5, 2017.

If convicted, Gates faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison on the drug charge, and a maximum penalty of 10 years on the felon in possession of a firearm charge. The charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a mandatory penalty of five years in federal prison, which would be served consecutively to any sentence imposed on the heroin charge.

The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office – Special Investigations Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Reinhard.