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Crime & Safety

Falls Man Caught Carrying Drugs at Delafield Walmart

Suspect and his friend are charged after a woman spotted them acting strange in the parking lot. One of the men was taken to the hospital due to possible drug issues.

A 29-year-old Menomonee Falls man and 32-year-old North Prairie man are facing charges after they were caught in the parking lot of Walmart in Delafield with drugs.

Steven J. Hannen, of North Prairie, was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court Wednesday with one count of possession of drug paraphernalia and Eric S. Politowski was charged with two counts of possession of narcotic drugs, one count of possession of a controlled substance, and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. If convicted, Politowski faces up to seven years in prison and $21,000 in fines, while Hannen faces up to 30 days in jail and $500 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint:

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On Oct. 16, 2011, Delafield police officers were called to Walmart after someone reported the two men walking around the parking lot and acting strange. When an officer arrived, he found the men stumbling near Politowski’s truck and when he told them he was there to help, they appeared confused.

Hannen began to moan and said he was dizzy and needed an ambulance. The officer called for one and as they waited Politowski went into the store to get cigarettes.

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Hannen told the officer he hadn’t taken drugs, but he then told rescue workers he took Xanax earlier in the day. He was taken to the hospital and Politowski came out of the store and was told his friend was gone.

The officer asked him if he had drugs in the truck, but Politowski said there wasn’t anything in there and the officer was free to search it. The glove box was already open when the officer went inside and he found a pack of cigarettes inside with a staw with white powder inside the pack.

He also found a bag with white powder on it inside the center console of the truck. He told Politowski he was under arrest for possession of drug paraphernalia and he then patted him down and found a cylinder in his pocket with various pills and a heroin powder inside. Politowski said he didn’t know the items were in his truck and he was holding the pills for Hannen.

He said Hannen wanted to go to Milwaukee to buy drugs and on the way back he began to feel sick. He said Hannen didn’t want to go in an ambulance, so he grabbed the cylinder out of his pocket and went to get a shopping cart so he could push Hannen inside the store and get help.

However, Hannen told officers it was Politowski’s idea to go buy drugs and had cooked up a shot at the place where they bought the substances. Hannen told officers he only buys Xanax from “older people who need money.”

Both men will make their initial appearances in court Aug. 20.

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