Appleton jewelry store owner sentenced to prison on drug charges - WBAY
OUTAGAMIE COUNTY, Wis. (WBAY) - An Appleton jewelry store owner has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for drug charges.
Michael Witzke, 60, appeared in Outagamie County Court Tuesday for a sentencing hearing.
Witzke was found guilty of eight drug-related charges after agreeing to plead no contest. Four other counts were dismissed but read into the record.
Two of the counts allege he possessed drugs with the intent to distribute them near a school. Witzke's store, Knight's Jewelry, is located at 220 E. Wisconsin Ave. That's less than one mile from Kaleidoscope Academy on E Brewster St.
The case dates back to Sept. 16, 2016. A criminal complaint states a law enforcement officer saw Witzke holding a syringe in his hand and waiving it around as he talked with with a woman inside of Knight's Jewelry.
Officers got a search warrant for the business and found 1.77 grams meth, pills, digital scales and other drug paraphernalia.
Witzke admitted to being a meth user, according to the criminal complaint.
"Witzke admitted the majority of his drug use was at the store and that all of the drugs he would have would be at the business," reads the criminal complaint. "Witzke stated people occasionally delivered methamphetamine to him at the store."
On Tuesday, Witzke was sentenced to two years and six months in prison, and five years on extended supervision.
