Menomonie man discovered in Colfax garage found guilty of 4 felonies, 21 other charges dismissed
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — A 48-year-old Menomonie man found in a Colfax garage last August with methamphetamine, marijuana, gem Baggies and drug paraphernalia has been found guilty on four felony charges while 21 other charges have been dismissed.
Steven O. Johnson appeared in Dunn County Circuit Court before Judge James Peterson August 14 for a plea hearing.
Johnson was found guilty of four felony counts of manufacturing and delivering methamphetamine; burglary; taking and driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent and bail jumping as well as a misdemeanor count of retail theft of less than $500.
All together 21 counts were dismissed but read into the record for sentencing: one felony count of maintaining a drug trafficking place; 11 felony counts of bail jumping; two felony counts of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine; two misdemeanor counts of possession of marijuana; three misdemeanor counts of possessing drug paraphernalia; and two misdemeanor counts of bail jumping.
The counts on which Johnson was found guilty and the counts that were dismissed but read into the record for sentencing covered six separate case files.
On the case file related to Johnson being found in a garage in Colfax on Railroad Avenue, Johnson pleaded no contest to one felony count of burglary, and Judge Peterson accepted the plea and found Johnson guilty.
Five other counts related to the same case were dismissed and read into the record for sentencing, including one felony count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver; one misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana; one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia; and two felony counts of bail jumping.
Judge Peterson ordered a Pre-sentence Investigation (PSI) and that the report be provided to the court two weeks before sentencing.
According to the criminal complaint, the Colfax Police Department received a call about a possible burglary at a home in the 600 block of East Railroad Avenue on August 7, 2018.
The Colfax officer spoke to the owners of the property who said their shed had been burglarized and that several items were not where they were supposed to be.
The property owner said he had checked the ground level of the shed and did not see anyone, but a ladder, which was not supposed to be there, was leaning up against the loft and there was a bag with a phone in it at the bottom of the ladder that did not belong to either of the property owners.
The Colfax police officer searched the loft and found a man, later identified as Johnson, who appeared to be sleeping. When the officer announced his presence and asked Johnson to show his hands, the defendant sat up and seemed surprised a police officer was there, according to the complaint.
The Colfax officer advised Dunn County dispatch of the situation. When a Dunn County deputy arrived at the scene, he said a warrant was out for Johnson’s arrest and the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department had been attempting to locate him earlier in the day, the complaint states.
After Johnson came down out of the loft, he told the officers he could not remember how he got to the shed, did know where he was, and the last thing he remembered was being in Eau Claire.
A sentencing hearing for Johnson is scheduled for October 10 before Judge Peterson.
At the time of the August 14 plea hearing, Johnson remained in custody at the Dunn County jail.
