Plea deals reached in Iron, Gogebic burglary cases

By RALPH ANSAMI

and RICHARD JENKINS

[email protected], [email protected]

Hurley - A Stevens Point, Wis., man entered a no contest plea Wednesday in Iron County Court to a May burglary in the Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles office at the Hurley tourism information center, a day after pleading guilty to a burglary-related charge in Gogebic County.

Daniel Allan Erickson, 28, appeared in Iron County Court with his attorney, Douglas Muskett; who said a plea agreement had been reached in which a second charge of burglary from Harley's Roadhouse in Hurley on Nov. 14, 2016, would be dismissed.

Erickson also entered a no contest plea to entering a locked coin box in the DMV burglary.

Iron County Judge Patrick Madden accepted the pleas and found Erickson guilty, dismissing seven other charges.

Muskett said under the agreement reached with Iron County District Attorney Matt Tingstad, Erickson would receive up to 30 months in prison and would pay restitution of $2,900.

The case had been set for a two-day trial next week.

The judge said restitution and bond will be addressed at the sentencing hearing.

On Tuesday, Erickson appeared in Gogebic County Circuit Court via video from the Iron County Jail, with Muskett appearing in the courtroom.

Erickson pleaded guilty to being in possession of burglary tools - a 10-year felony.

Erickson told Gogebic County Circuit Judge Michael Pope he had a lock pick in his pocket when arrested in Ironwood Jan. 17.

"(The lock pick) is designed to open tubular locks without a key," Erickson said, explaining later tubular locks are the kind often found on lock boxes and vending machines.

The Gogebic guilty plea came as part of an agreement that will have several other charges against Erickson dismissed at sentencing. The charges to be dismissed, according to the written plea agreement, are breaking and entering a building with intent, two additional counts of possession of burglar tools and possession of a dangerous weapon.

Gogebic County Prosecutor Nick Jacobs said the weapons charge relates to some brass knuckles Erickson possessed.

Erickson is scheduled to be sentenced on the Gogebic County charges Jan. 16. A date for the Iron County sentencing will be set after a pre-sentence investigation is completed.

The original charges in Iron County that were dismissed included possession of burglary tools, bail jumping and five misdemeanors.

Hurley police officer Sgt. Donald Packmayer investigated the two burglaries.

The criminal complaint said $2,049 was stolen by Erickson from a jukebox at Harley's, but didn't list the amount missing from the DMV.

In the DMV break-in, Erickson was caught on a surveillance camera unlocking a money box. A confidential informant assisted officers in that probe, which also involved the Ironwood Public Safety Department and Gogebic County Sheriff's Department.