RACINE — The Racine County District Attorney’s Office has charged a Caledonia man with seven felonies following a sheriff’s department drug operation.
Dennis P. Roche Jr., 51, faces charges of manufacturing/delivering Schedule I, II narcotics; maintaining a drug trafficking place; receiving stolen property (>$5,000 – $10,000) or firearm; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; two counts of manufacture/deliver Schedule I, II narcotics-second and subsequent offense; and a count of maintaining a drug trafficking place-second and subsequent offense.
If convicted of all charges, Roche faces up to 107 years in prison and/or fines up to $210,000.
Roche’s charges stem from a series of controlled buys by a confidential informant between January and March, according to the criminal complaint filed in the case Oct. 8.
During an initial appearance in court Tuesday, Racine County Circuit Court Commissioner Alice Rudebusch set Roche’s cash bond at $7,500.
Criminal complaint
According to the criminal complaint, a Racine County Sheriff’s Office Metro Drug Unit criminal informant first met with Roche on Jan. 15. The two met in Roche’s car outside of an address on the 4800 block of Washington Avenue.
At that time, the CI bought 10 pills of oxycontin and a .40 caliber handgun with ammunition from Roche, according to the complaint.
On Feb. 18, the CI purchased three more pills of oxycontin from Roche at an address on the 3700 block of Meachem Road.
The last buy, on March 9, took place at a residence on the 1700 block of Edgewater Avenue. The CI again purchased three oxycontin pills from Roche at this buy.
Roche will next appear in court for a preliminary hearing on the charges on Oct. 21. He is being held on a $7,500 cash bond.
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