Fond du Lac DA charges 10 people on felony meth, fentanyl conspiracy charges

Bremen Keasey, Fond du Lac Reporter
·2 min read

FOND DU LAC ‒ Ten people were charged with methamphetamine and fentanyl conspiracy charges Thursday in Fond du Lac County after a joint investigation by local, state and federal police.

Fond du Lac District Attorney Eric Toney identified those who were charged as Melvin Kemp, 29, of Westland, Mich.; Julie Kurczek, 51, of Fond du Lac; Samantha Nett, 30, of Fond du Lac; Jason Norton, 23, of Grayfield, Mich.; Kyla Ott, 31, of Ripon; Dalton Wojkiewicz, 26, of Fond du Lac; Joshua Kerns, 31, of Fond du Lac; Anthony Tynan, 41, of Fond du Lac; Eugene Jackson, 37, of Fond du Lac; and Taylor Retzleff, 31, of Fond du Lac. They were charged with conspiracy to manufacture or deliver more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, which are Class C felonies punishable with up to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.

The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Fond du Lac Police Department, Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Drug Unit and Drug Enforcement Administration that began in early 2022.

"I am so proud of the teamwork and inter-agency collaboration ... to effectively dismantle this large-scale drug trafficking operation and arrest those individuals involved in it," Fond du Lac Police Chief Aaron Goldstein said.

The 10 people charged were alleged to have been involved in the "historical delivery and distribution" of more than 100 pounds of meth since the start of 2022, which he said has a street value of over $1 million, Toney said.

More than 3.25 pounds of methamphetamine and 280 grams of fentanyl were seized during the investigation, he said.

Seven of the 10 people charged were in custody Thursday, Toney said. Norton, Wojkiewicz and Tynan had active warrants out for their arrest, and the district attorney asked for the public's assistance in finding them.

Toney said he expects more defendants to be charged because it's an ongoing investigation. He and Assistant District Attorney Wesley Kottke are prosecuting the case.

Contact Bremen Keasey at 920-570-5614 or bkeasey@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Keasinho.

This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Fond du Lac County charges 10 people in fentanyl, meth drug conspiracy