Man spared prison in Saukville drug house case

A 20-year-old man arrested last year after police searched his Saukville apartment — described as a party house rife with marijuana by some of the 14 people there at the time — was spared a prison sentence last week but will have to serve time in the county jail. 

During an Oct. 15 hearing, Ozaukee County Circuit Judge Steve Cain withheld a prison sentence for Evan M. Brecke and placed him on probation for three years after Brecke pleaded guilty to a felony charge of maintaining a drug trafficking place.  As a condition of probation, Brecke was ordered by Cain to serve four months in jail.

Brecke and his roommate Anthony M. Gregory were arrested after police searched their apartment in the 100 block of Tower Lane on Sept. 30, 2019, in response to numerous tips they received between mid-August and the end of September that THC vape cartridges were being sold there.

When officers arrived at the apartment, the smell of marijuana was so strong that they detected it before entering, and when they asked one of the people there if there were drugs in the home, he said “there was weed, and it was everywhere,” according to a criminal complaint. 

Gregory, who is known as Tony, told officers that he bought vape cartridges containing THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, in Milwaukee, then resold them for $30 each, the complaint states. He said he had about $200 in his room from the sale of the cartridges.

Among the evidence that led authorities to the Tower Drive apartment was a Snapchat post from “Big Homie Tony” showing marijuana cartridges and money. Gregory admitted he had posted that.

When questioned further, Gregory said he sold marijuana vape cartridges to a group of about 10 people and never had any complaints from his customers, the complaint states.

Brecke, who said he was not involved in the sale of the cartridges,  told investigators that he rented the apartment and allowed Gregory to move in with him. Brecke said Gregory had been selling THC vape cartridges for two to three months and sold about one or two of them a day.

Gregory told officers that just before they arrived at the apartment, which he called a “party house,” most of the people there were smoking a blunt, or marijuana cigar, the complaint states.

Of the people in the apartment, two were 16-year-olds.

In the living room, authorities found a vape pen that smelled of THC, a bag and container of marijuana, a scale and rolling papers.

In Gregory’s room they found two bongs, $250 in cash, a full box of THC vape cartridges as well as four empty ones, a vape pen that smelled like marijuana and marijuana wax, according to the complaint.

Gregory, 21, pleaded guilty to maintaining a drug trafficking place in July. Cain also withheld a prison sentenced in that case. He placed Gregory on probation for three years and ordered him to serve six months in jail. 

Both Brecke and Gregory also pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors — possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Cain sentenced them to additional time in jail, but stayed the sentences, which means Brecke and Gregory will not have to serve them if they abide by the conditions of their probation, which include maintaining absolute sobriety. 

Both men were also charged with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, but those felonies were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. 

Cain granted the requests of Brecke and Gregory to have their criminal record expunged if they complete their periods of probation.