SAWYER COUNTY — A traffic stop in Sawyer County that led to the deployment of a K-9 and the discovery of illegal drugs in the vehicle has concluded with the Court’s acceptance of a Deferred Agreement.
Benjamin Isham, 39, of Hayward, WI, was arrested and later charged following a traffic stop in May 2025. The Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release about the incident.
PRESS RELEASE
On May 31, 2025 at 11:38 pm, Sawyer County Deputies with assistance from the City of Hayward Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a 1993 Ford F-250 pickup truck that was traveling south on State Highway 27 near the Rivers Edge Bar in the Town of Hayward.
During continued investigation into the traffic stop, K9 Maverick was deployed, alerting to the presence of illegal drugs in the vehicle.
During a search, deputies found five separately packaged bags containing suspected methamphetamine weighing 14.9 grams and a prescription medication bottle containing a quantity of unidentifiable green and white colored capsules.
The driver of the vehicle, Benjamin J. Isham, 38, of Hayward, was arrested for Possession with the Intent to Manufacture / Deliver Methamphetamine, Possess Illegally Obtained Prescription and Resisting or Obstructing an Officer.
Isham is currently being held in the Sawyer County Jail on a $10,000.00 cash bond.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
— Per Sheriff Doug Mrotek
UPDATE
Benjamin was charged with Class E Felony Possession with Intent Methamphetamine (>3-10g) and Misdemeanor Resisting or Obstructing an Officer.
He appeared last on May 11, 2026, and the Hon. Judge Monica Isham accepted his plea of guilty to the methamphetamine charge. The remaining charge was dismissed but read in. Judge Isham also accepted a proposed 3-year deferred agreement. He also entered pleas of no contest to charges of Class G Felony Theft-Movable Property >$10,000-$100,000 and Class I Felony Criminal Damage to Property (Over $2500) filed against him in a separate Sawyer County court case.
On his theft and property damage charges, Judge Isham ordered Benjamin to serve 180 days in county jail (with credit for 138 days already served) and 4 years of probation on a withheld sentence.
Conditions of his sentences include requirements for Benjamin to engage in, comply with all requirements of, and successfully graduate from Sawyer County Recovery Court within 3 years. He will remain subject to his bail bond for the duration of the agreement. He is also ordered to follow through with all programming recommendations from the Department of Corrections for Mental Health and AODA assessments.
Last Update: May 15, 2026 7:28 am CDT
