Green Bay Press-Gazette
MARINETTE – An Oconto man was convicted Thursday of first-degree reckless homicide over an overdose death and selling cocaine.
Brian Blasing, 31, was found guilty by a Marinette County jury after three hours of deliberation.
The homicide charge was filed in January 2020 over the death of Terry L. Westphal of Coleman, 45, on Feb. 17, 2019.
Blasing was also convicted of manufacture/delivery of up to 1 gram of cocaine over a Jan. 28, 2019 drug sale to a confidential informant in the town of Peshtigo, where Blasing and his former girlfriend, Chasity Denny, resided at the time.
Judge James Morrison scheduled sentencing for Aug. 20.
bchristensen@ironmountaindailynews.com
MARINETTE, Wis. Three of four men accused of reckless homicide for reportedly supplying fentanyl-laced heroin that led to a fatal overdose in Niagara, Wis., in January were in Marinette County Circuit Court this week.
Brady Peeters, 23, of Quinnesec, stood mute at his arraignment Tuesday as a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf on a charge of first-degree reckless homicide/deliver drugs as party to a crime, a felony punishable by up to 40 years in prison.
A status conference was set for July 16.
According to the criminal complaint, authorities from the Niagara Police Department, Marinette County Sheriff’s Office and Marinette Police Department were called to a house on the 1300 block of River Street in Niagara on Jan. 5, where a man had apparently overdosed.
MENOMINEE, MI Two people were arrested in Menominee and Marinette counties on charges related to a break-in and stolen goods.
Last Tuesday the Menominee County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint that someone had broken into a storage unit. A joint investigation with the Marinette County Sheriff’s Office led detectives to a residence in Marinette County on Wednesday. Stolen property was identified at the home and a search warrant was executed. A 45-year-old man was arrested and lodged at the Marinette County Jail.
Information then led detectives to a Menominee residence, where another search warrant was executed. A 37-year-old man was arrested for possession of stolen property, possession of meth, and maintaining a drug house. He was lodged in the Menominee County Jail.
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By Robert Kennedy
Apr 5, 2021 8:56 AM
OCONTO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) â An intensive law enforcement operation targeting drugs and other criminal activity in Oconto County resulted in eight arrests and dozens of tickets.
Sheriffâs officials say the effort took place March 26 in the cities of Oconto Falls, Gillett and Oconto; and the towns of Stiles, Oconto Falls, Morgan, Gillett and Underhill.
Deputies say they pulled over 172 vehicles and issued 54 tickets and issued 183 warnings. Police dogs were used 41 times, with the dogs locating something suspicious 25 times.
Tickets and arrests were for:
Criminal and civil traffic violations
Possession of Schedule II narcotic
Warrants