Boyceville woman receives 13 charges after police execute search warrant on her home

By Cara L. Dempski

BOYCEVILLE — A 32-year-old Boyceville woman appeared in Dunn County Circuit Court last week on multiple charges of drug possession, recklessly endangering safety, and child neglect.

Aleisha L. Downey was arrested June 27, 2017, after officers from the Boyceville Police Department and Dunn County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on her home.

According to the criminal complaint filed by the Dunn County District Attorney’s Office, law enforcement found evidence resulting in one charge each of possession of methamphetamine, possession of tetrahydrocannabinols (marijuana/THC) with intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia to manufacture, compound, convert, produce, or store methamphetamine, and misdemeanor bail jumping.

The complaint also indicates Downey was charged with four counts of second-degree recklessly endangering safety, and four counts of neglecting a child after both law enforcement and representatives of Dunn County’s Department of Human Services deemed the living conditions in the home to be too dangerous for Downey’s children.

According to the complaint, Boyceville police chief Greg Lamkin obtained a search warrant for Downey’s residence to look for items taken in a burglary case. He was assisted at the scene by Boyceville officers Peter Rud and Cory Maxon, and Dunn County Deputy Todd Kurtzhals.

The complaint indicates the warrant was issued as part of an investigation into a burglary that occurred at the Boyceville Public Library. Three juvenile suspects had been identified in that case, two of whom lived in Downey’s home.

One of Downey’s children was at home when law enforcement arrived, and informed Lamkin and the other officers that his mother was at an appointment with another sibling, and the others were with their grandfather.

The criminal complaint reveals Lamkin and Maxon entered the home and discovered poor living conditions. Among the issues noted were laundry all over the floors, loose clothing and clothing baskets on the stairs to the basement, fiberglass poles laying on the stairs, and clothing and other items spread over the basement floor.

Lamkin and Maxon also noted there were several mattresses and box springs spread around the basement, bags of clothing piled on the floor, and one bed pressed into a corner at an angle between a wall and dresser.

The complaint also notes Lamkin and Maxon discovered a basement shower with no curtain or surround, a toilet, and fresh signs of a water leak. Items on the floor were wet, and both officers observed what seemed to be exposed wiring throughout the basement. There appeared to be no fire egress windows.

Upstairs, the two officers noted the kitchen area was cluttered, with the counter tops, sink, table and floor all covered in dirty dishes; some dishes appeared to be growing mold.

According to the complaint, the living room was cluttered, and the front entry mud room had a mattress on the floor and appeared to be used as a bedroom. The child present at the home told Lamkin and Maxon one sibling sleeps in the mudroom, while the beds in the basement are meant for the other siblings.

The criminal complaint noted Lamkin found the home’s bedroom door bolted closed, and Deputy Kurtzhals had to force it open. The room was described as cluttered, and access to the bathroom was very difficult.

Officer Rud and Kurtzhals searched the bedroom and located a locked black safe under the bed. According to the complaint, the safe smelled strongly of marijuana. Rud broke into the safe and found residue which field tested positive for methamphetamine.

The complaint states the officer and deputy also found a locked overnight bag which smelled of marijuana. Upon breaking the bag’s lock, the duo found a steel box which contained three clear plastic bags of what later field tested positive as marijuana. The bags held a total of 34.98 grams of the substance.

A pipe, vial, and digital scale were also found in the steel box, and all tested positive for methamphetamine.

According to the complaint, Downey denied the drugs and paraphernalia were hers, but a hair sample from one of the children tested positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine use in the home.

Online court records indicate Downey signed a $500 bond in October 2016 with the condition that she refrain from further criminal conduct. That bond was still in effect at the time the search warrant was executed on her home in June.

Misdemeanor bail jumping, and neglecting a child are both class A misdemeanors and are punishable by no more than nine months in prison, fines of up to $10,000, or both.

Possession of methamphetamine and possession of THC with intent to sell (less than or equal to 200 grams) are class I felonies with penalties of up to $10,000 in fines, three years six months in prison, or both.

Second-degree recklessly endangering safety is a class G felony in Wisconsin. Conviction can result in 10 years in prison, up to $25,000 in fines, or both per count.

Downey’s initial appearance in front of Dunn County Circuit Court Judge Rod Smeltzer is scheduled for 10:45 a.m. September 12.