Man arrested on drug and racketeering charges linked to 2020 homicide

Between June and August 2020, there was a series of violent offenses that included arson and approximately 18 separate shootings in the Madison area.  These violent offenses ultimately culminated on Aug. 11, 2020 when 11-year-old Anisa Scott was shot as she rode in a car on E. Washington Ave. Three young men – Andre Brown, Perrion Carreon and Jerry Ward – were eventually convicted of her murder and sentenced to prison.

During the course of these investigations, including Anisa's murder, it was learned that all of these incidents were driven by the organized trafficking of marijuana, and at the direction of an individual that went by “madgas."

In the six years since, detectives with Madison's Violent Crime Unit and the Dane County Narcotics Task Force have continued to follow up on the investigation and were ultimately able to identify numerous co-conspirators, including “madgas," who was identified as Apolinar Gatica. Gatica has been charged with Wisconsin Organized Crime Control Act - Racketeering and Conspiracy to Deliver THC > 10,000 grams.

On June 15, 2026, Gatica had his initial appearance at the Dane County Circuit Courthouse.