Janesville man tied to international 'molly' conspiracy
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A Janesville man has pleaded guilty in a federal drug-trafficking conspiracy case involving the club drug methylone, sometimes referred to as molly or M-1.
Large quantities of the drug, chemically similar to MDMA, or ecstasy, were sent from China and distributed in Wisconsin, federal investigators allege.
Because of this guilty plea in an agreement with federal prosecutors, local charges were dismissed in Rock County Court this week against Allen A. Strzyzykowski, 23, of 1731 S. Crosby Ave. Janesville.
Sheriff's deputies arrested Strzyzykowski in May 2014 on Highway 51 between Janesville and Beloit, and two pounds of the drug were seized, authorities reported at the time.
The seizure was valued at $32,000.
Strzyzykowski's guilty plea was to a charge of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. Under the plea agreement, he would be sentenced to 6.5 years.
Sentencing is set for June 11 in the federal courthouse in Milwaukee.
Anthony Longtin, 24, of 120 N. River St., Janesville, has entered into a federal plea agreement in the same case and pleaded guilty, according to online court records.
Strzyzykowski and Longtin distributed methylone in the Janesville and Beloit area, according to a case summary attached to Strzyzykowski's plea agreement.
Stryzyzykowski was distributing for a Beloit man investigators believe was the conspiracy's mastermind, Kirk R.C. Mickelson, known by the nicknames Captain Kirk and Curt Cobain.
“Law enforcement learned, as part of this investigation, that Mickelson was trying to set up a methylone importation and distribution network in the Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota areas,” the summary states.
Mickelson is considering a plea agreement, federal court documents indicate.
Mickelson's second in command and enforcer was Bryan F. Eason, federal prosecutors allege. Eason's case is ongoing, records indicate.
The case arose out of an investigation in 2011 by the Washington County Sheriff's Office and federal Drug Enforcement Administration, court documents indicate.
Informants led investigators to Mickelson, who ordered methylone and other synthetic drugs from China and set up a network of people to receive the shipments and make payments to China, according to the case summary,
Western Union records show more than $50,000 was sent from Wisconsin to China for methylone in 34 transactions between October 2011 and January 2013, the summary states.
Methylone was transferred to distributors in Beloit, West Bend or points in between, the summary states.
One witness told investigators the Chinese were paid $3,000 per kilogram of methylone and $4,000 per kilogram of “hard-chunk methylone,” according to the summary.
Mickelson and Eason were said to possess weapons they used to protect themselves. Police in Maui, Hawaii, raided Mickelson's residence there in 2012 and seized three handguns, more than 100 rounds of ammunition, two ballistic vests, four gas masks and five canisters of tear gas, the summary states.
Beloit police, who intercepted one of the methylone shipments and delivered it to Mickelson's residence in Beloit, seized a handgun, 70 rounds of ammunition, parts for an AR-15 rifle, handcuffs, two gas masks and a security camera system, on Jan. 15, 2013, the summary states.
Several others have entered into plea agreements in the case, according to federal court records. They all pleaded guilty to the same charge, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. They are Briana R. Ketelsen, said to be Mickelson's girlfriend; Michael J. Miller of Beloit, a childhood friend of Mickelson's; Leana Porter of Beloit, another longtime Mickelson friend; Connie Ketelsen of Beloit, Briana's mother; Amy Ketelsen, Briana's sister; Wendell T. Eason of Beloit, Bryan Eason's brother; Martel Earl, said to be a distributor in the Beloit/Janesville area; and Scott R. “Face” Beckwith, who met Mickelson in jail and was a low-level dealer, according to the case summary.
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