SAWYER COUNTY -- A Hayward, WI man has been sentenced to state prison for a conviction of Class F Felony Possess with Intent Amphetamine in Sawyer County Circuit Court.
James Isham was charged criminally in Sawyer County Circuit Court following the execution of a search warrant at a residence on the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Reservation in December 2017. This search warrant was apparently the culmination of a lengthy investigation involving the use of controlled buys. Six people were arrested from that residence on the LCO Reservation as a result of the search warrant. Criminal charges were also filed against Megan Trepania, Belinda Dennis, and Charles Smith.
During the execution of the search warrant, officers located nearly 2 grams of methamphetamine, three digital scales, and numerous items of drug paraphernalia including packaging material for controlled substances, pipes for smoking methamphetamine, and marijuana bongs.
Officers also found a small caliber revolver underneath a mattress in Trepania’s bedroom.
Megan Trepania is charged with 5 counts of Class F Felony Manufacture/Deliver Amphetamine and Misdemeanor Possess Drug Paraphernalia stemming from this incident and is scheduled to appear next on her criminal charges in June 2018.
Belinda Dennis is facing a charge of Class I Felony Maintain Drug Trafficking Place from this incident and also is scheduled to appear next in June 2018.
Charles Smith received a charge of Misdemeanor Obstructing or Resisting an Officer and a charge of Felony Bail Jumping from this incident, and he is due to appear in April regarding those charges and other pending criminal charges in Sawyer County Circuit Court.
James Isham entered a plea of No Contest to his felony charge at a hearing on January 29, 2018. A second charge of Misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia was dismissed but read in.
Online circuit court records show that Isham appeared for a sentencing hearing on March 23, 2018. Sawyer County District Attorney and defense counsel for Isham presented a joint sentencing recommendation to the Court for a withheld sentence of 3 years of probation with 90 days jail time and an Alcohol and Other Drug Assessment.
The Court ordered a 5-year sentence for Isham: 2 years of incarceration in state prison with credit for 86 days served and followed by 3 years of extended supervision.
Pursuant to the direction of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, as found in Supreme Court Rule 20:3.6, Trial Publicly, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
**Previous Post Below**
19 Year Old LCO Woman, Several Others, Get Meth Dealing Charges from Drytown Drug Raid
Tuesday, January 16, 2018 | DrydenWire
SAWYER COUNTY -- A 19-year-old LCO woman, Megan Trepania, has been charged in Sawyer County Circuit Court on January 10, 2018, with 4 counts of delivery of amphetamine and possession of amphetamine with intent to deliver, as a result of a drug investigation on the LCO Reservation and subsequent SWAT team raid of a residence in the Drytown community.
According to the criminal complaint, a series of four controlled buys of methamphetamine using a confidential informant (CI) were executed on Trepania on then dates of November 9, 13, 29 and December 27, 2017.
As a result, a raid of the Belinda Dennis residence was executed on Dec. 28. in which, Trepania received a charge of possession of amphetamine with intent to deliver. The charge also included Party to a Crime – Use of a Dangerous Weapon, because a handgun was also located in her bedroom at the residence during the raid.
According to the criminal complaint, all four controlled buys were done by the CI purchasing amounts of methamphetamine at the Belinda Dennis residence in Drytown.
On Dec. 28, the search warrant was executed because, in addition to the four buys on Trepania, LCO Police had conducted a controlled buy at the same residence and the purchase was made from Belinda Dennis.
While searching Belinda Dennis’ room, multiple items of drug paraphernalia were found and a used gem bag with meth residue inside, the complaint stated.
As officers entered Trepania’s bedroom, according to the complaint, they witnessed James Isham, named as Trepania’s boyfriend, attempting to hide items. Found within the bedroom were two packages of meth weighing 1.7 grams, three digital scales, and lots of drug paraphernalia, including meth pipes, hot rail tubes, marijuana bongs, packaging material and torches, etc., the complaint stated.
“Also underneath a mattress in this room we located an unloaded smaller caliber revolver,” the officer reported. “Megan and James are both in possession of the firearm while committing other crimes of selling methamphetamine.”
The deputy also noted that Isham has had multiple felony arrests, but no convictions. During their interview at the sheriff’s office, Trepania admitted to deputies that she and Isham were given the gun from one of their buyers who owed them $40.
Trepania is currently being held on a $5,000 cash bond and her next appearance is set for January 23, at 8:30 a.m.
Belinda Dennis was charged with Maintaining a Drug Trafficking Place and is currently being held in jail on a $5,000 cash bond and her next appearance is set for January 17 at 8:00 a.m.
James Isham was charged with a felony, Possession of Amphetamine with Intent to Deliver, and is currently being held on a $500 cash bond. His next court appearance is January 29, 8:30 a.m.
Charles Monty Smith, 32, was charged in Sawyer County Circuit Court with felony bail jumping and misdemeanor obstructing an officer after he was arrested at the Dennis residence during the raid. Charges were filed against him on January 10th, 2018.
On August 22, 2017, Smith was accused of possessing an amphetamine with intent to deliver, a felony charge, which he failed to appear in court for his initial appearance on Sept. 12, 2017, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
From the same date, Smith also has two misdemeanor charges of possessing drug paraphernalia. On Sept. 14, a felony bail jumping charge was filed against Smith for missing court. He now has two felony bail jumping charges, and he now has a court date scheduled on all of his charges for January 30, 2018, at 1:00 p.m. Smith is on a $1,000 cash bond and is subject to daily drug testing and ordered to have absolute sobriety.
Leon Corbine and Jimmy Lee Dennis were both arrested during the raids on active warrants.
All the accused are ordered, as conditions of their bonds, not to have any contact with each other.
Pursuant to the direction of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, as found in Supreme Court Rule 20:3.6, Trial Publicly, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
**Original Post Below**
Search Warrant Leads to Six Arrests in Sawyer County
Friday, December 29, 2017 | SCSD l Press Release
SAWYER COUNTY -- On December 28, 2017, Sawyer County Deputies, assisted by Sawyer County SWAT, LCO Police Department Officers, Wisconsin DOJ Division of Criminal Investigation Agents, City of Hayward Police Department Officers and the Wisconsin State Patrol executed a search warrant on a residence on Neezh Street on the Lac Court Oreilles Reservation. The search warrant was obtained after an investigation by the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office, the LCO Police Department and the Wisconsin DOJ Division of Criminal Investigation, into drug trafficking from the residence.
L/R: Belinda Dennis; James Isham; Jimmy Dennis
L/R: Megan R. Trepania; Leon A. Corbine; Charles Smith
As a result of the investigation and the execution of the search warrant, six people were taken into custody. Belinda F. Dennis, age 37, was arrested for Maintaining a Drug Trafficking Place, Delivery of Methamphetamine and Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Megan R. Trepania, age 19, was arrested for Delivery of Methamphetamine and Possession with Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine; James M. Isham, age 25, was arrested for Possession with Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine; Charles M. Smith, age 32, was arrested for Obstructing an Officer and an active Arrest Warrant; Jimmy L. Dennis, age 30, was arrested on an active Probation Warrant and Leon A. Corbine, age 50, was arrested on an active Probation Warrant.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
During the execution of the search warrant, 1.7 grams of Methamphetamine, three digital scales, packaging materials, numerous items of Drug Paraphernalia and a handgun were all seized from the residence.
The Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office, the LCO Police Department, the Wisconsin DOJ Division of Criminal Investigation and the Sawyer County District Attorney’s Office continue our combined efforts in our mission to protect the citizens of Sawyer County.
Sheriff Doug Mrotek
Last Update: Mar 28, 2018 11:22 am CDT
