Man sentenced to 48 months in prison for conspiring to distribute oxycodone

WISCONSIN (CBS 58) -- A Minocqua man has been sentenced to 48 months in prison for conspiring to distribute oxycodone.

Lance Bruette, 36, and his co-conspirators allegedly traveled from Oneida and Vilas Counties to Milwaukee to pick up at least 289,140 mg tablets of oxycodone. They then allegedly sold the oxycodone in northern Wisconsin.

The investigation revealed that Bruette was a leader in this conspiracy and directed the others to pick up oxycodone. He also allegedly recruited accomplices to sell in particular geographic areas.

While sentencing Bruette, United States District Court Judge Lynn Adelman emphasized that the offense was particularly serious because the opioid epidemic has had such a dramatic impact in small, rural communities in Wisconsin, such as those in Oneida County and Vilas County.

Bruette was the seventh and final defendant to be sentenced for conspiring to distribute oxycodone in this case.