Repeat Offender Sentenced to 6 Years for Heroin Trafficking

MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Robert Seymour, 37, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 6 years in federal prison for distributing heroin.  Seymour pleaded guilty to this charge on August 31, 2023.

In May 2023, an informant told police that Seymour was trafficking heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine from an apartment in Madison and regularly carried a firearm.  This information was quickly corroborated when, on May 31, and June 23, 2023, the informant made two controlled buys of heroin from Seymour, totaling over 70 grams.  The heroin from the second buy was later determined to contain fentanyl.  Upon searching Seymour’s apartment, police found more heroin and three loaded firearms.

Seymour has a lengthy criminal history, including a prior federal conviction for possessing a firearm as a felon.  Further, he was on state court bond for drug trafficking at the time he committed this offense.

In sentencing Seymour, Judge Peterson stated that this was a highly aggravated crime involving dangerous drugs and firearms.  He further explained that armed drug traffickers, like Seymour, pose a serious risk to the community.  Lastly, Judge Peterson highlighted Seymour’s recent poor performance on federal supervision as a justification for a sentence above the advisory sentencing guideline range. 

The charge against Seymour was the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Reinhard prosecuted this case.