BARRON COUNTY (DrydenWire) – A second man has been sentenced in Barron County Circuit Court for a burglary conviction in Barron County.
Draven Merz (pictured right), of Barron, WI, and Lee Lefevers (pictured left), of Chetek, WI, were both arrested, according to a press release from Barron County Sheriff Fitzgerald, and then later charged. Lefevers was sentenced in July 2024 and Merz was sentenced during a hearing on February 17, 2025.
The Barron County Sheriff’s Department responded to a large sand plant just south of Chetek, WI, on September 12, 2023, for a burglary in progress.
Lefevers and Merz were located and arrested by Deputies. Several search warrants were conducted following their arrests, and numerous stolen items were recovered.
The Sheriff’s press release stated that Merz and Lefevers were suspected of taking over $300,000 worth of equipment and items from the area.
Merz, age 28, & Lefevers, age 36, were each charged criminally with Class Class F Felony Burglary - Building or Dwelling and Class I Felony Criminal Damage to Property (over $2,500).
In July 2024, Lefevers was sentenced on a conviction for Class F Felony Burglary - Building or Dwelling. The remaining charges filed against him in Barron County Circuit Court were dismissed but read in.
The Hon. Judge Samuel Lawton ordered Lefevers to serve a 7-year prison sentence with 4 years of initial confinement in state prison followed by 3 years of extended supervision.
Conditions of supervision will require Lefevers to maintain absolute sobriety; complete all evaluations, counseling, treatment, and follow-up ordered by the Department of Corrections; and pay toward the total restitution amount of nearly $700,000.
UPDATE:
Merz appeared most recently on February 17, 2025, and was sentenced on a conviction of Class Class F Felony Burglary - Building or Dwelling. The remaining charge against him was dismissed but read in at a hearing in December 2024.
Online court records show that Merz is still facing Burglary charges filed against him in Dunn County Circuit Court, and methamphetamine charges filed against him in Chippewa County Circuit Court, however, details of those cases are unknown to DrydenWire.
The Hon. Judge Samuel Lawton ordered Merz to serve an imposed and stayed sentence with 3 years of probation and 9 months of conditional jail time.
Conditions of his sentence require Merz to make contributory payments toward the total restitution amount of nearly $700,000 and prohibit him from possessing or consuming alcohol or illegal drugs. He will also be required to complete any programming recommended by the Department of Corrections.
If Merz’s probation is revoked, he will face 2 years of incarceration in the Wisconsin State Prison system followed by 2 years of extended supervision.
Last Update: Feb 19, 2025 10:49 am CST
