Local, state and federal law enforcement officials on Thursday announced the issuance of methamphetamine and fentanyl conspiracy charges against 10 defendants in Fond du Lac County. The District Attorney’s Office filing the charges as a result of an investigation began in early 2022. The joint investigation involved the City of Fond du Lac Police Department, Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Drug Unit, and Drug Enforcement Administration.
District Attorney Eric Toney stated: “The allegations involve the historical delivery and distribution of over 100 pounds of methamphetamine in 2022 with an approximate street value exceeding $1 million dollars and the early stages of fentanyl distribution in Fond du Lac County. Approximately 3.25 pounds of methamphetamine and 280 grams of fentanyl were seized during the investigation. The fentanyl seized was enough to kill every resident of Fond du Lac County, which has an approximate population of 104,000. We will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners to aggressively prosecute those that pollute our community with dangerous drugs and ensure those drug dealers are held accountable. This is ongoing investigation and we expect additional defendants will be charged.”
The following defendants have been charged with Conspiracy to Manufacture or Deliver greater than 50 gram of Methamphetamine, a Class C Felony punishable by up to 40 years of imprisonment and
a fine up to $100,000:
Melvin Kemp is in custody with a $500,000 bond.
Julie Kurczek is in custody with a $250,000 bond.
Samantha Nett is in custody with a $250,000 bond.
Jason Norton is at large with an active warrant.
Kyla Ott is in custody with a $250,000 bond.
Dalton Wojkiewicz is at large with an active warrant.
Joshua Kerns is in custody with a $200,000 bond.
Anthony Tynan is at large with an active warrant.
Eugene Jackson is in custody with a $100,000 bond.
Taylor Retzleff is in custody with a $250,000 bond.
All but one defendant is from Wisconsin, the other is from Michigan. District Attorney Toney said the public’s assistance is being sought in locating them as well as any additional information the public may have which might aid the investigation. He added that all defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.”
Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt added that “It’s important to note that at the same time our agencies are engaged in task force based multi-state drug investigations, our agencies also have sheriff’s deputies and police officers patrolling our streets 24/7 seeking out local drug traffickers. It is not uncommon for these officers to make street level drug arrests that grow into much larger drug task force investigations.
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