Judge changes bail in Boyceville stolen truck case, DA moves to revoke deferred prosecution

By LeAnn R. Ralph

MENOMONIE  — A Dunn County judge has changed bail from $2,000 cash to a signature bond for a 30-year-old former Wheeler man charged in connection with stealing a pickup truck in Boyceville and eluding capture for several days.

Judge James Peterson amended the bond for Cody A. Metzger in Dunn County Circuit Court March 29.

Metzger is charged with one felony count of taking and driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent and two felony counts of bail jumping. 

Metzger told the court he does not have any cash to post bail.

Dunn County Assistant District Attorney Andrew Maki also has filed motions with the court to revoke deferred prosecution agreements in other cases involving Metzger.

In one case, Metzger was charged with four felony counts of bail jumping, two misdemeanor counts of bail jumping and one misdemeanor each for possessing synthetic marijuana and possessing drug paraphernalia.

In February of this year, Metzger pleaded no contest and was found guilty on one felony count of bail jumping and one misdemeanor count of bail jumping, and Judge Rod Smeltzer accepted a deferred prosecution agreement. The remaining charges were dismissed.

In another case in February, Metzger pleaded no contest and was found guilty on one felony count of possessing methamphetamine. Three misdemeanor counts of retail theft, possession of marijuana and bail jumping were dismissed.

In a third case, Metzger pleaded no contest in February and was found guilty of one misdemeanor count of violating a domestic abuse restraining order while four counts of felony bail jumping were dismissed, along with one misdemeanor count each of bail jumping and possessing drug paraphernalia.

Judge Smeltzer withheld sentence on the charge of violating the restraining order and placed Metzger on two years of probation, and as a condition of probation, ordered Metzger to serve 90 days in jail or complete 180 hours of community service within the first year.

Metzger also was ordered by the court to have no contact with Fleet Farm as well as three separate individuals.

During the March 29 court hearing, as a condition of the signature bond, Judge Peterson ordered Metzger to have no contact with Robert Fawcett and David Becker.

According to a news release from the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department, the incident started February 21 when the sheriff’s department received a report of a pickup truck stolen from the Village of Boyceville.

The incident ended several days later when a sheriff department’s K-9 officer located the suspect hiding in a pile of round bales at a farm on county Highway F — and the truck’s owner, Robert Fawcett, and a passenger, David Becker, also were taken into custody for firing rounds from handguns at the owner’s own stolen truck.

Metzger’s passenger, Paige M. Reaney, 22, was taken into custody where the stolen vehicle was located for operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent and also for a probation hold, according to the news release.

Fawcett made an initial appearance in court before Judge Peterson March 21.

Bail was set at $1,000 cash for Fawcett February 24 with the condition that he was to have no contact with Metzger or Reaney and that he is not to possess any firearms.

Another court hearing is scheduled for Fawcett May 9. 

Reaney was charged with one misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle without consent as a passenger and made an initial appearance in court before Judge Peterson March 21.

Bail was set for Reaney February 23 with a $200 signature bond. 

Reaney is scheduled for another court hearing May 16. 

Becker has been charged with one felony count of first degree recklessly endangering safety and is scheduled to make an initial appearance in Dunn County Circuit Court April 18. 

Metzger filed a change of address notification with the court March 29, and his address is now listed as Clear Lake.