Investigation stretched from Arizona to Wisconsin
Eleven people have been charged with for conspiring to deliver more than 500 grams of methamphetamine following a multi-jurisdictional investigation centered in Walworth County.
On Monday the Walworth County District Attorney’s Office, on behalf of the Walworth County Drug Enforcement Unit and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives-ATF Milwaukee Office, filed the criminal complaints, according to the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office.
The conspiracy timeframe lasted for approximately 11 months, coming to a conclusion in August 2021, according to sheriff’s officials.
The alleged involvement of those charged ranges from street-level dealing to transporting large amounts of methamphetamine from Arizona to various locations in Southeastern Wisconsin, including Walworth County.
The investigation involved conducting controlled buys, monitoring calls, writing subpoenas and search warrants, conducting surveillance, and obtaining statements from associates and co-conspirators, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The suspects charged in the case are:
- Kenneth W. Chadwick, 54, Phoenix, Arizona
- Krystal D. Gehrke, 36, Racine
- Shauna M. Gonzalez Garza, 35, Burlington
- Jillian R. Leighton, 38, Burlington
- Michelle A. Lyons, 43, Lake Geneva
- Sean M. Mason, 44, Elkhorn
- Christopher F. McFadden, 35, Waterford
- Joshua C. Potter, 33, Whitewater
- Thomas D. Schultz, 33, Elkhorn
- Frederick M. Taylor, 46, Burlington
- Brian N. Tidwell, 37, Elkhorn
“This investigation is an example of what is achieved when dedicated investigators from many law enforcement agencies work together across jurisdictions with a common goal to keep our communities safe,” Sheriff Kurt Picknell said in a news release issued by his office.
Other agencies assisting the Walworth County Drug Enforcement Unit and ATF- Milwaukee in the investigation, include: ATF-Flagstaff, Arizona; Drug Enforcement Administration-Milwaukee Office; United States Postal Inspectors; Wisconsin Department of Corrections; Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office; Racine County Sheriff’s Office; Rock County Sheriff’s Office; City of Burlington Police Department; City of Lake Geneva Police Department; City of Elkhorn Police Department and Village of East Troy Police Department.
