5 arrested in 2 city drug busts

SHAWANO — Authorities arrested two people in Shawano early Thursday on multiple drug charges, including distributing meth and running a drug house, only 12 hours after executing another drug search warrant in the city that netted three arrests.

The two incidents marked the third and fourth major drug bust incidents in Shawano County in three weeks.

Around 6 p.m. Wednesday, Shawano police, assisted by the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department, executed a drug search warrant in the 800 block of South River Street.

A 25-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man, both of Shawano, and a 45-year-old man from Bonduel were arrested.

Around 6 a.m. Thursday, police and sheriff’s deputies executed a drug search warrant in the 1200 block of South Lafayette Street.

A 24-year-old Shawano man and a 23-year-old Shawano woman were arrested on multiple drug charges.

In the previous two weeks, drug search warrants were executed and arrests made in the town of Richmond and the town of Wescott.

Shawano Police Chief Dan Mauel said the surge of unrelated, high-profile drug busts has been a combination of law enforcement targeting drug houses and a reflection of just how big the drug problem is in the community.

“The investigations can take months and it just happened that four of them came together at about the same time,” he said.

Charges were filed Friday in the two most recent incidents.

Katie B. Beaver, 23, of Shawano, and Nicholas W. Temple, 24, of Shawano, both arrested in the Lafayette Street drug bust, are charged with felony counts of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine near a public park, maintaining a drug trafficking place and second or subsequent possession of marijuana.

They face possible penalties of 3½ years in prison and $10,000 fine on most of the drug counts, and up to 12½ years in prison and a $25,000 fine if convicted of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine.

They’re each also charged with felony bail jumping, which carries a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Subjects arrested in the River Street drug bust Wednesday included Bret J. Dodge Sr., 28, and Lydi V. Dodge, 25, both of Shawano, and John F. Braz, 45, of Bonduel.

They are each facing felony charges of possession of methamphetamine, maintaining a drug trafficking place and bail jumping.

They could each face a maximum 3½ years in prison and $10,000 fine on the felony drug counts and six years in prison and $10,000 fine for felony bail jumping.

Those penalties could be enhanced, however, because of previous convictions.

Braz is also facing felony charges of third-degree sexual assault and possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine in a separate criminal complaint also filed Friday.

Shawano police on Friday interviewed the sexual assault victim at ThedaCare Medical Center. She told police she had done meth with Braz at the River Street address prior to the assault.

Braz was ordered held on a $1,500 cash bond for the drug charges and a $5,000 cash bond on the sexual assault charge by Judge James Habeck. Braz is due back in court for an adjourned initial appearance Sept. 3.

Habeck set a $5,000 cash bond for Temple who is scheduled for an adjourned initial appearance Aug. 26.

Habeck set a $500 cash bond and $2,000 signature bond for Bret Dodge and a $500 cash bond and $1,500 signature bond for Lydi Dodge, both scheduled for adjourned initial appearances Aug. 19.

Habeck set a $5,000 cash bond for Beaver, who was scheduled for an adjourned initial appearance Sept. 3.