By Vicky Wedig
Editor
Four of the eight people charged in connection with a heroin-selling ring in Delavan and Lake Geneva appeared in court last week and early this week.
Two of the other four are scheduled to make appearances this week.
Police expect to make additional arrests as the investigation continues.
Police arrested Jamaal T. Shellie, 33, of Waukegan, Ill., who is believed to be the ring leader, at a hotel in Lake Geneva on Feb. 7.
Shellie was charged Feb. 11 in Walworth County Circuit Court with seven counts of delivering heroin.
The others who were charged referred to Shellie as “The Major” and drove Shellie around to sell heroin and, in some cases, cocaine.
Christina M. Lavender, 29, of Delavan, and Jacob L. Crews, 25, of Lake Geneva, were bound over for trial Monday.
Lavender is charged with two counts of delivering heroin and is scheduled to be arraigned March 14. Crews is charged with one count of delivering heroin and is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.
Trisha J. Mohr, 34, of Delavan, made an initial appearance Feb. 18 and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Friday. She is charged with two counts of delivering heroin.
According to the criminal complaints:
The Walworth County Sheriff’s Department conducted controlled buys of heroin from Shellie on Jan. 14, 15, 16, 28 and 28 and Feb. 4 and 7. Confidential informants made the following purchases of heroin from Shellie – .74 grams at TJ Maxx in Lake Geneva on Jan. 14; 1.43 grams at Pat’s Place in the Town of Delavan on Jan. 15; 2.17 grams at Casey’s in Elkhorn on Jan. 16; 1.09 grams at Shopko in Delavan on Jan. 21; 1.03 grams at the Evergreen Hotel in Delavan on Jan. 28; 4.22 grams at TJ Maxx in Lake Geneva on Jan. 28; and 3.8 grams at Harbor Shores in Lake Geneva on Feb. 7.
Mohr drove Shellie to conduct the sales Jan. 21 at Shopko and Jan. 28 at the Evergreen Motel, both in Delavan, according to the criminal complaint.
Crews drove Shellie to conduct the sale Feb. 4 at TJ Maxx in Lake Geneva, according to the complaint.
Lavender drove Shellie to the sales at Pat’s Place in the Town of Delavan and Casey’s in Elkhorn, according to the complaint.
Ashley J. Keller, 27, and Brian Zitzler, 33, both of Lake Geneva; and Matthew Brown, 31, and Ernest Green, 29, both of Waukegan, Ill., are charged with various counts of delivering heroin or cocaine. Brown and Green are scheduled to appear in court this week.
Ashley J Keller should not have been charged and jailed. She was not selling drugs just giving a hitcher to destination. She is a good girl with a young 7 year old daughter. Why are they railroading Ashley into prison when she is innocent?