By LeAnn R. Ralph
EAU CLAIRE — A 31-year-old Colfax man who allegedly possessed 4.23 pounds of methamphetamine and for whom bail was set at $100,000 cash has pleaded not guilty.
Dalton D. Clayton of County Highway N, Colfax, appeared in Eau Claire County Circuit court via Zoom from the Jackson Correctional Facility on January 12 for an arraignment hearing.
Attorney Matthew Krische appeared in court for Clayton.
Clayton is charged with one felony count of possession of methamphetamine in an amount greater than 50 grams with a modifier of a second and subsequent offense and as a repeat offender; one felony count of possession of THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) as a second or subsequent offense and as a repeat offender; and one misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and as a repeat offender.
The defendant waived his right to appear in person, according to on-line court records.
According to the Eau Claire Police Department’s Facebook page on a post dated February 27, 2023, a West Central Drug Task Force investigation recently “led to a traffic stop in which almost five pounds of methamphetamine was seized by investigators.”
The methamphetamine had a street value of approximately $118,000, representing one of the largest drug seizures in the history of the West Central Drug Task Force, according to the Facebook post.
When a traffic stop was conducted, investigators found a backpack in the vehicle that contained three bags of a white crystalline substance.
Investigators later said Clayton was in possession of nearly 1,919 grams of methamphetamine, according to news reports.
Possession of methamphetamine in an amount greater than 50 grams is a Class C felony that carries a possible penalty, upon conviction, of a fine of up to $100,000 and/or up to 40 years in prison.
