BARRON, Wis. — A Barron County mailman is charged with intent to deliver narcotics after being arrested on his route carrying methamphetamine.
Authorities say 66-year-old Tim Wilson is also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
The bust was made after Barron County drug investigators served a warrant at Wilson's home on County Trunk Highway SS in Chetek Monday. During the search deputies found and confiscated 21 grams of meth. They also found a scale, packaging bags and other materials to suggest Wilson was distributing the drug. The suspect wasn't home, but was later taken into custody while delivering mail.
Authorities say Wilson had an additional 2 grams on meth on him at the time of his arrest, and more than $900 in cash. He was booked into the Barron County Jail, and released Tuesday on a $10,000 signature bond.
The street value of the confiscated drugs is about $2,300.
Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald says despite intensive efforts to combat methamphetamine, it remains a huge quality of life issue. "It's still the number one problem in Barron County and northwestern Wisconsin," he told KARE 11.
Fitzgerald says without hesitation that all the meth that comes into western Wisconsin is from Minnesota. He explains that drug operations conducted by his investigators show Mexican cartels move it to the Twin Cities, and smaller operations then deal in his county.
The sheriff says the number of meth busts have leveled off in the last two years, but it still has a major impact in the community. Fitzgerald shared that $3 million of the Barron County Health and Human Services budget each year is directly related to meth in terms of caring for children removed from homes where meth is used, treatment and other costs.
In terms of the larger crime picture, Fitzgerald says residents using meth account for at least 80 percent of the thefts and burglaries in the county, stealing everything from lawn mowers to jewelry.
The sheriff believes anti-drug education efforts targeting young people are largely to thank for the leveling off of meth busts in recent years, and says it's something the sheriff's department will continue to make a priority.
"We'll talk to anybody about meth, any time, anywhere," he says.
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