By Vicky Wedig
SLN Staff
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 11 for a Milwaukee man charged with helping sell cocaine in East Troy and then fleeing from police.
Jose G. Lara, 31, was charged May 11 in Walworth County Circuit Court with conspiracy to manufacture cocaine and attempting to flee or elude a traffic officer.
According to the criminal complaint, Lara acquired a half ounce of cocaine from his supplier and delivered it Feb. 24 to another man, who was to sell it to a confidential informant in East Troy. Lara agreed to drive the man to sell the cocaine, according to the complaint.
While the informant was waiting at the Shell gas station in East Troy, the man contacted the informant and said he was in a parking lot at Roma’s Restaurant. Police went to Roma’s where another East Troy police officer had already arrived and had his service weapon pointed at a dark-colored sedan, according to the complaint. The sedan squealed its tires and sped toward a Walworth County sheriff’s deputy, who also had his gun drawn.
The car sped away on Highway ES at speeds of more than 100 mph and officers from multiple jurisdictions gave chase, according to the complaint. Near Crow Bar Road in Walworth County, something was thrown from the window of the car.
The chase ended in Walworth County. Lara, who was driving, said he threw the cocaine out the window during the chase, according to the complaint.
