8-month-long drug investigation leads to arrest of 2 suspects

RACINE — Two men were arrested and charged with lengthy drug offenses following an investigation spanning eight months.

Kye L. Bass, 48, was charged with 14 felony offenses relating to the delivery of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and maintaining a place for the purpose of drug trafficking.

The defendant had five open cases with the Racine County Circuit Court. As a result, he was also charged with 76 counts of felony bail jumping.

Kendrick I. Cobbin, 32, was charged with 15 felony offenses relating to the delivery of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine, and maintaining a place for the purpose of drug trafficking.

He was additionally charged with 24 counts of felony bail jumping.

Both men were in court on Thursday where bail was set at $750,000.

Bass and Cobbin were taken into custody Wednesday after an arrest warrant was served at the 1700 block of Douglas Avenue where investigators claim the two men were selling drugs. The building was referred to as “the studio.”

The criminal complaint: Drug trafficking 

According to the criminal complaint, a confidential source was used to buy drugs from Bass and Cobbin on four separate occasions beginning on Dec. 9, 2022. The last controlled buy was on July 19.

A controlled buy is a purchase of contraband that is arranged by investigators but carried out by a third party, the confidential source.

The confidential source is searched before the buy to ensure they are not carrying contraband to the location of the buy. Afterward, the source returns immediately to investigators, who retrieve and weigh whatever was purchased.

• After the controlled buy on Dec. 9, 2022, investigators allegedly recovered suspected cocaine/fentanyl that weighed 44 grams, there were 225 pills of suspected Ecstasy (MDMA) weighing 75.9 grams and suspected heroin/fentanyl that weighed 5.1 grams.
• After the controlled buy on Feb. 2, 2023, investigators allegedly recovered suspected cocaine/fentanyl that weighed 43.8 grams and suspected heroin/fentanyl that weighed 8.1 grams.
• After the controlled buy on March 17, 2023, investigators allegedly recovered suspected heroin/fentanyl that weighed 41.9 grams.
• After the controlled buy on July 19, 2023, investigators allegedly recovered suspected crack cocaine that weighed 17.8 grams, 17.5 grams of suspected heroin, and 28.8 grams of suspected cocaine.

On Wednesday, members of the RPD and Milwaukee Area Safe Streets Task Force served an arrest warrant on “the studio.” A subsequent search allegedly uncovered:

• 18.9 grams of suspected Ecstasy pills
• 110.6 grams of suspected THC
• 102.7 grams of suspected THC gummies
• 30.8 grams suspected Percocet (oxycodone hydrochloride)
• 50.2 grams of suspected heroin
• 43 grams of suspected crack cocaine
• 258 grams of suspected cocaine
• Two 9mm handguns

Preliminary hearings were scheduled for both men on Aug. 31 at 9 a.m. in Racine County Circuit Court. However, unless they can hire private counsel, it may take months before attorneys can be assigned to them from the Wisconsin Public Defender’s Office, which is experiencing a shortage of trial attorneys.