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Courts
Home›Courts›Three arrested in meth bust

Three arrested in meth bust

By WaupacaNow
February 15, 2016
10794
19

Three Waupaca men face felony drug charges after police found crystal meth during a traffic stop.

Edward J. Stemwedel, 24, is charged with delivery of methamphetamines, possession of methamphetamines with intent to deliver, drug trafficking, possession of narcotics and illegal possession of prescription drugs. He is charged as a repeat offender due to a May 2015 conviction for forgery uttering.

Bart C. Gruetzmacher, 49, is charged with delivery of methamphetamines, possession of methamphetamines, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Zachary P. Jones, 31, is charged with delivery of methamphetamines as party to a crime.

On the evening of Thursday, Feb. 4, Waupaca Police Officer Nate Nelson made a traffic stop on Lakeside Parkway just east of Bowling Lane. The driver, Gruetzmacher, had a suspended license.

Nelson performed a pat-down search on Gruetzmacher and reported finding eight packages of crystal meth and some marijuana. He also found a used needle and pot in the vehicle.

According to the criminal complaint, Gruetzmacher told Sgt. Mario Graceffa he had been selling meth for Stemwedel.

Gruetzmacher allegedly drove out to meet Stemwedel alongside Railroad Grade Road near Fremont. He pulled up next to a silver Jeep driven by Jones with Stemwedel as the passenger. Stemwedel allegedly handed the meth to Jones, who then gave it to Gruetzmacher.

Gruetzmacher then went to a friend’s house on State Street, where he smoked some of the meth and shared it with friends, the complaint says. He then lined up a deal to sell four-tenths of a gram to friends that night.

Gruetzmacher reportedly said Stemwedel kept an “8-ball” of meth at his home on North Washington Street, generally hidden in a cloth pocket behind his chair.

Shortly after midnight on Friday, Feb. 5, Graceffa and Nelson, accompanied by other officers, deputies and a K9 unit, went to Stemwedel’s home to conduct a search. Because Stemwedel is on probation, a search warrant was not required.

Inside Stemwedel’s home, officers found a razor blade and two lines of white crystals on a glass table. They also found a butane torch lighter, a glass bowl with burnt residue, several gem bags with crystal residue and used and new needles.

Police seized 3.4 grams of meth and 2.6 grams of marijuana, as well as oxymorphone, diazepam and suboxone.

Stemwedel reportedly told Graceffa he had been a heroin user for the past couple of years, but had quit opiates and had been using crystal meth for about two months. He said he bought approximately one 8-ball (3.5 grams) of meth per week and would sell “one point” (1/10 gram) each for $20, according to the complaint.

Stemwedel said Jones drove him to Appleton, where he bought an 8-ball of meth and Jones bought half of the 8-ball for $140. He claimed he loaned Jones the $140 and Jones sold his meth to Gruetzmacher, then paid Stemwedel back, the complaint says.

Jones told Graceffa he goes to Stemwedel’s home almost daily to shoot up meth. He said he does not have a job and usually does favors for Stemwedel in exchange for meth, the complaint says.

Jones reportedly said Stemwedel bought the meth and set up the meeting with Gruetzmacher.

TagsWaupaca County meth
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19 comments

  1. Grant Guess 15 February, 2016 at 17:32 Reply

    Unreal…..

  2. Mike Barnstable 15 February, 2016 at 17:32 Reply

    Lock them up.

  3. Holly Kratzke-Gray 15 February, 2016 at 17:32 Reply

    Awesome job done by all!! which K-9 unit?

  4. Terri Ricker 15 February, 2016 at 17:32 Reply

    They should be put down? I can’t believe you can even talk that way! They are someone’s children! They need help! Lock them up fine, but have them go thru rehab while they are in there

  5. Darla Ritchie 15 February, 2016 at 18:32 Reply

    I agree give them a chance for rehab

  6. Terri Ricker 15 February, 2016 at 18:32 Reply

    So I guess the person that said “Put them down!” Removed her comment. I guess she realized how harsh that sounded.

  7. Theresa Whitpan 15 February, 2016 at 19:32 Reply

    My God, what has happen to that sweet sleepy town I once lived and loved!?! So sad…. too much of this occurring everywhere really. 🙁

  8. Mike White 15 February, 2016 at 19:32 Reply

    Sounds a little more like they were dealing than using. So lock them up throw away the key so they can’t peddle this crap and ruin other people’s lives.

  9. Terri Ricker 15 February, 2016 at 19:32 Reply

    From what I heard, they are users so they do need help. 🙁

  10. Andy Przybylski 15 February, 2016 at 19:32 Reply

    Looks like there waupaca

  11. Debbie A Schmoll 15 February, 2016 at 21:32 Reply

    time to give sympathy to the poor taxpayers who are always footing the bill

  12. Becky Mach 15 February, 2016 at 22:32 Reply

    You can’t force them to get help. It will only work when they are ready to stop or hit rock bottom. I don’t condone what they are doing. It’s an addiction they needed help a long time ago. It’s going to be a live time change. They need new friends because the ones they call friends now are just users.

  13. Lisa DuBois 16 February, 2016 at 00:32 Reply

    Looks like Waupaca is keeping it classy, Not!!!

  14. Bonnie Gierach 16 February, 2016 at 04:32 Reply

    Creepy

  15. Marsha Marie 16 February, 2016 at 08:32 Reply

    49 yrs old still at it? And ummm when does one actually grow up?

  16. ex 19 February, 2016 at 00:08 Reply

    That’s right 49 and still at it ,this guy has been a sperm donor lol for four kids and has been nothing but a piece of crap don’t feel bad for this guy feel bad for the 4 kids that have to deal with this shit in the news this guy needs to grow up

  17. S V 19 February, 2016 at 13:32 Reply

    That Mr. Gruetzmacher, is actually my uncle. We actually call him Uncle C (uncle convict) because he is constantly in and out of the prison system.
    He has used as long as I’ve known him, don’t think he will ever quit. Sad to say, but he won’t ever change.

  18. Shelley Hamm 21 February, 2016 at 20:18 Reply

    My prayers r with the Jones family they can’t afford to loose another child…If he needs help let’s get it for him…And stop all this negative bullshit…Love u Vicki and family I know how kind and good Zack is no matter what they say there is two sides of every story…And i hope that if Zack has started down the wrong road he can turn around I have confidence in him he is a great guy and had been through many obstacles…

  19. lorren 22 February, 2016 at 21:13 Reply

    I know two of them personally…one is an ex of mine and he IS a good person..just because someone has an addiction doesn’t mean they should die or anything that harsh..I am a former user and will be an addict my whole life..what people don’t realize is that you don’t have to choose to live the life of an addict..it’s a disease.there is no cure… .rehab is needed more than people think.

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