The streets of Milwaukee became the unexpected stage for the culmination of a multi-agency operation against drug-related crimes, leading to an arrest in connection with a fatal overdose case in Washington County. Early Thursday, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, alongside the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigations Overdose Death Initiative (ODI), executed two separate operations that started with the serving of a search warrant on W. Lisbon Ave. There, a Milwaukee man was snared for local gun and drug charges, and substances including fentanyl and cocaine, along with firearms, were seized as reported by the Washington County Sheriff's Office’s social media post.
Following the operations, authorities moved to another Milwaukee address where they had previously executed a warrant in August and they proceeded with the arrest of 52-year-old Andrew Outlaw on reckless homicide charges, with Outlaw now in custody and his bond at $250,000, as informed in the post, yet the operations did not conclude there as detectives continued their hunt for another suspect, Ryan Immel, 40, also tied to the overdose death but still at-large, believed to be hiding in the La Crosse area. In a demonstration of inter-jurisdictional collaboration, Washington County Sheriff Martin Schulteis emphasized the value of their partnership with the ODI group, remarking that their shared efforts aim to deter and disrupt the operations of those selling poison to our residents.
A coordinated law-enforcement operation reflects an ongoing effort to address drug-related activity in the region. According to an update from the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Schulteis said he hopes the recent actions will serve as a deterrent to individuals involved in drug distribution. The update states that Outlaw and Immel face First-Degree Reckless Homicide charges, which carry a potential sentence of up to 60 years. Authorities noted that the investigation remains active and that additional charges may be issued.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office encourages anyone with information on Immel’s whereabouts to come forward, reaching out to local authorities or directly emailing Lieutenant Tim Kemps at [email protected].
