A Spooner, WI man has been ordered to serve jail time for his conviction in a Washburn County burglary case from February 2017.
Michael Cox was charged with Class F Felony Burglary and Misdemeanor Theft following an investigation into a reported burglary. According to a criminal complaint filed against Cox, he had contact with Washburn County law enforcement near private land, and stated that he was looking for birch poles to cut. Deputies advised Cox that he needed proper permits. A report was later received of a burglary in that area, and a red Generac generator that had been seen in Cox’s vehicle was identified as belonging to the victim of the burglary.
DrydenWire.com reported in January 2018 that Cox had entered a plea of Guilty to his charge of Class F Felony Burglary. The charge of Misdemeanor Theft that was filed against Cox was dismissed but read in.
Online circuit court records show that at a hearing held on July 23, 2018, the Court ordered a 5 year sentence for Cox, probation and 6 months conditional jail time. The Court granted Huber privileges for Cox during his jail sentence. Conditions of Cox’s probation prohibit him from consuming alcohol, or from consuming or possessing any controlled substances without prescription.
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Spooner Man Pleads Guilty to Burglary in Washburn County
Friday, January 5, 2018 | by Ben Dryden
Online circuit court records show that Michael Cox, of Spooner, WI appeared in Washburn County Circuit Court on January 4, 2018, and pled guilty to his charge of Class F Felony Burglary of a Building or Dwelling.
DrydenWire.com first reported on this case on February 25, 2017, when the Washburn County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release stating that Michael Cox was wanted in connection with a burglary in Washburn County. On March 3, 2017, the Washburn County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Cox had been taken into custody and charges of Class F Felony Burglary and Misdemeanor Theft was filed against him in Washburn County Circuit Court on March 7, 2017.
The criminal complaint filed against Cox stated that when deputies made contact with Cox on February 22, 2017, in the area of the burglary, he told deputies that he was looking for birch poles to cut and that he had been going to residences to ask the landowners if he could cut birch on their land. At that time, deputies informed Cox that he needed proper permits in order to cut timber.
After that contact, it came to the attention of the Sheriff’s Office that a red generator spotted in the back of the truck that Cox was operating was actually the property of someone else. The subsequent investigation revealed that Cox had accessed at least one building, leaving wet footprints on the cement floor. After Cox was placed under arrest he admitted to law enforcement that he had taken the generator and advised as to where it could be found.
The charge of Misdemeanor Theft which was filed against Cox was dismissed at the hearing on January 4, 2017, but read in by the Court, along with another charge of Class H Felony Bail Jump that was recently filed on December 27, 2017, in Washburn County Circuit Court. Cox is scheduled to be sentenced in April 2018 on the burglary conviction.
The maximum penalty for a conviction of Class F Felony Burglary of a Building or Dwelling is 12 years and 6 months imprisonment in state prison, or a maximum fine of $25,000, or both.
According to online circuit court records, Cox also is charged in Polk County Circuit Court with three counts of Class F Felony Burglary or a Building or Dwelling and one count of Class I Felony Theft of Movable Property. In addition, there are three criminal cases filed against Cox in Sawyer County Circuit Court charging him with one count of Misdemeanor Theft of Movable Property in each case. The details of those cases are not known to DrydenWire.com.
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Spooner Man Charged with Burglary Requests Jury Trial
Tuesday, July 11, 2017 | by Ben Dryden
A Jury Trial has been scheduled in January of 2018 for a Spooner man charged with Class F Felony Burglary and Class A Misdemeanor Theft of Movable Property in Washburn County.
On March 14, 2017, DrydenWire.com reported that Michael Cox, of Spooner, WI, had been charged criminally in relation to a recent burglary. The criminal complaint filed against Cox states that on February 22, 2017 he had contact with Washburn County Sheriff's Deputies near private land. At that time, Cox allegedly told the deputies that he was seeking birch poles to cut and was trying to locate the landowners to request permission.
Deputies advised Cox that he would need a permit to complete any cutting of timber. The deputies saw a red Generac generator in the truck which Cox was driving and then followed the tracks left by Cox's truck. The generator was later identified as belonging to the landowner.
A press release was issued by the Washburn County Sheriff's Office on February 25, 2017, advising that they were seeking Cox in relation to the burglary complaint. Charges were filed on March 7, 2017 by the Washburn County District Attorney's Office.
Cox appeared in Washburn County Circuit Court on July 10, 2017 for a plea hearing. However, according to public record, instead of pleading to his charges, Cox told the Court that he wants a Jury Trial. A trial is now scheduled for January 30, 2017.
Public record shows that on March 15, 2017, a criminal complaint was filed in Polk County Circuit Court charging Cox with 3 counts of Class F Felony Burglary as well as 1 count of Class I Felony Theft of Movable Property.
Also, on April 26, 2017, 3 more criminal complaints were filed in Sawyer County Circuit Court against Cox, charging him with 1 count of Class A Misdemeanor Theft of Movable Property in each complaint.
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.
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Spooner Man Faces Felony Burglary Charges
Tuesday, March 14, 2017 | by Ben Dryden
Charges of Felony Burglary, a Class F Felony, and Misdemeanor Theft have been filed in Washburn County Circuit Court against Michael Cox of Spooner, WI.
The Washburn County Sheriff's Office issued a press release on February 25, 2017, stating that they were seeking Michael Cox in connection with a burglary investigation. On March 3, 2017, DrydenWire.com reported that the Sheriff's Office confirmed that Cox was in custody in relation to the same investigation.
According to the criminal complaint filed against Cox, a Washburn County Sheriff's Deputy had contact with Cox on February 22, 2017. During that contact, Cox told the deputy that he was looking for birch poles to cut and had been going to residences to ask landowners if he could cut birch on their land.
After the deputy advised Cox that he needed a permit in order to cut timber on private land for any reasons other than firewood, Cox told the deputy that he would obtain the proper permits right away.
The criminal complaint continues, stating that when Cox drove away, the deputy noticed that Cox had a red Generac generator in the box of the red Chevy truck that he was driving at the time.
The deputy followed the tracks left by Cox's truck, which showed that Cox had driven onto a property on Gardner Lake Road. The deputy found wet marks on the cement floor of the shed on the property, indicating that someone had just been there.
The deputy contacted the landowners who came to the property and confirmed that they did own a red Generac generator and that no one had permission to remove it from the property.
After Cox was located and placed under arrest, the criminal complaint states that he admitted to officers that he had taken the generator seen by the deputy in Cox's truck and he told officers where it could be found. The generator was located and retrieved.
The landowners were able to identify the generator as their own after viewing a picture of it.
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Washburn Co. Sheriff's Office Looking for Burglary Suspect
Saturday, February 25, 2017 | Washburn County Sheriff's Office
Press Release - Michael S. Cox is wanted by the Sheriff's Office in connection with a burglary last Thursday in Gull Lake Township. Cox's last known address is W7814 Keller Road, Township of Spooner, according to our arrest records. He is known to have associates in the Minong area. He was driving a Red Chevrolet Extended Cab Pick-up, that we believe was used in this burglary. Mike should turn himself into the Washburn County Sheriff's Office, it is just a matter of time before apprehension. Anyone having information as to Cox's location or information please call the Washburn County Dispatch at 715-468-4720.
"Your eyes and ears frequently solve crimes and affect the arrests of those that commit crimes against your neighbor more often than not." -Sheriff Dryden
Last Update: Aug 05, 2018 11:38 am CDT
