Douglas County Sheriff's Office confiscates 3 guns, meth during three traffic stops

Maria Lockwood, Superior Telegram, Wis.
·4 min read
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Feb. 13—DOUGLAS COUNTY — In a span of 10 days, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office night shift pulled three firearms and nearly 18 grams of methamphetamine out of vehicles following three traffic stops.

The incidents resulted in felony charges for four men in Douglas County Circuit Court.

"This is a very disturbing amount of guns, all being carried by convicted felons, that this shift has taken off the streets in a short period of time. I'm proud of the solid patrol work that is being done to keep our communities safe," said Sheriff Matt Izzard.

Sgt. Robert Stachovich initiated a traffic stop on Jan. 29 after noticing that a truck driving south on East Second Street in Superior had a loud exhaust and tires that extended past the fenders. Stachovich activated his lights and sirens. The driver, later identified as Joshua Dewey-Dale Taylor of Superior, drove for another mile before pulling over in the town of Parkland, according to the criminal complaint.

Deputy Justin McIntosh, who was driving behind Stachovich, stopped and deployed his K-9 partner, Kip. The K-9 detected an odor of controlled substances coming from the interior of the truck.

A syringe filled with a substance that tested positive for meth was reportedly found between the driver's seat and center console of the vehicle. A .25-caliber silver handgun, identified as a gun stolen from Tennessee, was found in a dirty sock partially inside the dashboard of the truck, which was registered to a person from Hayward. Taylor, who has a felony conviction out of Florida, claimed he did not know about the firearm being in the truck, the complaint said.

Taylor, 29, faces one felony count of possession of methamphetamine in Douglas County Circuit Court. A $2,000 signature bond was ordered for the Superior man. He failed to make his preliminary court appearance Wednesday, Feb. 7, and an arrest warrant was issued for him, according to online court records.

At about 1:48 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 8, Stachovich made a traffic stop on a vehicle on County Road A in the town of Superior for plates that did not match the vehicle registration. McIntosh again assisted.

The driver, identified as Jamie Todd Pfannes Sr., admitted he took the license plates off a different vehicle and put them on his. The vehicle was searched, and 9.77 total grams of methamphetamine were found in five separate jewelry bags along with a bubble pipe and digital scale with residue, according to the criminal complaint.

Under the driver's seat, McIntosh reportedly located a 9-mm handgun and box of ammunition in a fanny pack. Pfannes denied knowing the firearm was in the car, but admitted to handling it recently, the complaint said. He also has a criminal conviction out of Douglas County from a 1987 incident, which prohibits him from possessing a firearm in Wisconsin.

Pfannes, 55, of Gordon faces felony counts of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a felon as well as misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and operating a motor vehicle while revoked. A $5,000 cash bond was set for Pfannes with conditions of no dangerous weapons — including firearms — no drugs or paraphernalia and no driving without a valid license. His next court appearance was set for Wednesday, Feb. 14.

Less than two hours after that traffic stop, at 3:26 a.m. Feb. 8, Deputy Spencer Severson made a traffic stop on a vehicle on the 1400 block of Grand Avenue for an equipment violation. Stachovich and McIntosh assisted.

The driver was identified as Calvin Parr of Virginia, Minnesota; the passenger was identified as Anthony Thomas Bray of Hibbing, Minnesota.

When Severson asked Parr to step out of the vehicle, a small baggie containing 3.25 grams of marijuana reportedly fell to the ground outside the driver's seat. He was arrested and a bag containing 1.77 grams of methamphetamine was found in his front waistband area as well as a larger bag with 6.5 grams of meth, according to the complaint. A meth water pipe with residue was found under the driver's seat.

Parr, 49, faces one felony count of possession of methamphetamine and misdemeanor counts of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. A cash bond of $2,500 was set for Parr and he was ordered not to use or possess controlled substances or paraphernalia. His next court appearance was set for Wednesday, Feb. 14.

Bray was reportedly sitting on top of a large knife that was out of its sheath. He told Stachovich that there was a pistol in the car, balled up in a jacket behind the center console. He said he moved it from the glove box. A semi-automatic pistol was found in a nylon holster, the complaint said. Bray reportedly was convicted of a felony in California in 2020 and is prohibited from possessing weapons in Wisconsin.

Bray, 41, faces one felony count of possession of a firearm by an outstate felon. A $2,500 cash and $2,500 signature bond were set for Bray and he was ordered not to use or possess a firearm. His next court appearance was set for Wednesday, Feb. 14.