Spring Green man receives prison time for distributing fentanyl that killed a man

MADISON, Wis. – Michael Schoenmann, 31, of Spring Green, was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Thursday for distributing fentanyl that resulted in the overdose of a Florida man. 

A 25-year Florida resident, Wyatt Cox, overdosed on a fentanyl nasal spray, which he purchased from Schoenmann on the dark web. A comprehensive investigation involving state and federal law enforcement officers traced the fentanyl back to Schoenmann. 

Schoenmann was running a vendor site on the dark web in 2017 and 2018 where he sold the fentanyl nasal spray throughout the United States. He claimed on his website that he got the fentanyl from overseas before he packaged it as nasal spray, which allows users to ingest the drug undetected. 

Following the execution of a search warant, Shoenmann was arrested on March 8, 2018. He pleaded guilty to attempting to distribute fentanyl and distributing a fentanyl analogue that resulted in an overdose on Nov. 16, 2018.

During the sentencing on Thursday, two of Cox’s family members spoke about the pain, sadness and loss they felt after Cox’s death. Cox’s sister acknowledged that both families lost someone. She then told Schoenmann that she blames him and her brother, but forgives him. 

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