A Lincoln County, Wisconsin mother accused in a child neglect case involving eight children found living in an RV has been sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to amended misdemeanor charges. Megan Cis, 33, admitted to victim intimidation, battery and possession of THC, and a judge handed down 24 months of probation.
Cis had originally been facing 12 counts, including intimidating a victim, child abuse, neglecting a child and possession of THC, according to wsaw.com. Under the plea deal, nine other charges were dismissed but considered during her sentencing, the outlet reports. WAOW similarly reported that Cis was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to intimidating a victim, battery and possession of THC, with eight counts of neglecting a child dismissed but read in.
Eldest Child's Plea for Food Triggered Investigation
The case traces back to a property in Bradley, a few miles north of Tomahawk, where Cis and Wilber Edward Copeland III were living with the eight children in an RV. The family had been there since September 2025 after arriving from New York, per the same account. On December 12, a property owner called the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office after the eldest child knocked on her door asking for food.
That child told investigators the kids had gone without food, or had very little, for four weeks. The report notes investigators later learned from jail phone calls that one of the children had been hospitalized for malnutrition. Those details emerged as the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office investigated the case further.
The allegations expanded well beyond hunger. As reported by wxpr.org, investigators said the parents had apparently left the eight young children alone in the RV while they traveled to get marijuana, and that the parents would discipline the kids by punching or kicking them. All eight children were placed into protective custody as the investigation unfolded.
Children Ranged From Age 3 to 11
Court records described the eight children, ranging in age from 3 to 11, as having been placed into foster homes following their removal from the Bradley property, according to wsaw.com's review of the case. Reports on the number of dogs removed from the scene have varied: wxpr.org reported five dogs were taken to the Lincoln County Humane Society, while a separate account from bluewaterhealthyliving.com described six dogs at the property.
Copeland Still Faces Charges, Court Date Set for Monday
Copeland remains a separate defendant in the case and has pleaded not guilty. He faces charges including being a party to the crime of felony intimidating a victim, being a party to the crime of child abuse, child abuse, and eight counts of child neglect, according to the Wausau Daily Herald. His next court activity, a status conference, is scheduled for Monday, October 5.
The outcome for Copeland remains unresolved. wsaw.com's reporting confirms only that his next hearing date has been set, not what will happen when he appears. For now, Cis's case stands closed with her probation sentence, while the Lincoln County case against her co-defendant continues to move through the courts.
