A Platteville man was arrested twice in one week on drug-related charges in Fennimore.
After his third arrest a week later, the man faces 41 felony and misdemeanor charges.
Paul J. Key Jr., 40, was first arrested April 28. He was subsequently charged with possession of methamphetamine, six counts of felony bail jumping, six counts of misdemeanor bail jumping, possession of marijuana, and resisting or obstructing an officer.
Key faces a maximum of 45 years and three months in prison and $141,000 in fines if convicted of those charges.
Key made his initial appearance before Grant County Circuit Court Judge Craig R. Day on April 29. Day set a $1,000 cash bond, which was posted on May 2, according to Wisconsin Circuit Court Access online records.
One night later, Key was arrested again.
A Fennimore police officer conducted a traffic stop on May 3 and recognized the vehicle’s rear passenger as Key. The officer then searched the seat Key had been sitting in, according to a criminal complaint filed in Grant County Circuit Court.
The officer located a Red Bull energy drink Key had allegedly been drinking, which had been crushed and was placed on the floorboard of the vehicle. When the officer uncrushed the can and cut it open, they allegedly found one “bud” they believed to be marijuana, and a glass vial that had a white crystal-like substance in the bottom.
A field test revealed the two grams of leafy substance in the can tested positive for the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol. The crystal-like substance found in the glass vial tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine, according to the criminal complaint.
Key was later charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, six counts of felony bail jumping and four counts of misdemeanor bail jumping. He waived his preliminary hearing and pleaded not guilty to the charges Thursday.
When Key made his initial appearance related to his second arrest on May 4, Day set a $2,500 cash bond.
Then, on May 10, a third set of charges was filed for an incident April 12 — four counts of felony bail jumping, two counts of misdemeanor bail jumping, and one count each of resisting or obstructing an officer and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Key waived his preliminary hearing and pleaded not guilty to the third set of charges Thursday, according to court records. Day set bond at $25,000. Key was in the Grant County jail as of Tuesday morning.
Key also faces 2015 charges of felony battery, felony bail jumping, misdemeanor battery and three counts of misdemeanor bail jumping, with a trial scheduled June 14 and a status conference on June 1.
