Knives Drawn in Drug Deal Gone Sour, Police Say

A trio seeking to rob and nab drugs from marijuana dealer, with whom they had a foul history with, left with nothing but armed robbery charges after a planned hit went wrong.

Things escalated quickly when knives were drawn in the parking lot of The Woods apartment complex on Appleton Avenue in Menomonee Falls. Police were called to the scene after a witness reported a fight in progress. No one was injured, but all involved were charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court Thursday.

According to police interviews with defendants:

On Monday night, female Wauwatosa resident Jordan Shappeck, 22, met with her friends Josh Willer, 18, and Tyler Martinez, 17, to devise a plan to exact revenge on a former marijuana dealer, Justin McGrew, 20. Both McGrew and Willer are Menomonee Falls residents, and Martinez hailed from Germantown.

The trio planned to stage a drug deal to rob McGrew of his marijuana and cash, the complaint states.

Shappeck placed an order with McGrew to purchase a half-ounce of marijuana for $180, which was part of a bait-and-switch plan. At around 10:45 p.m., Martinez drove both Shappeck and Willer to the meet-up spot at The Woods in Menomonee Falls, which is where McGrew lived. Shappeck entered McGrew’s vehicle to make the deal, but said “she had been tripping out on acid” and forgot her money, the complaint states. She then left the vehicle.

McGrew told police he thought something was “sketchy” because he had a falling out with Martinez. Here’s where different characters enter the scene.

McGrew’s friend, who was across the way in a different parking lot, spotted him and stepped into the vehicle to say hello. Willler, who had been hiding in bushes, surprised McGrew by stepping into the vehicle brandishing a knife screaming and threatening to cut McGrew if he didn’t give him money or marijuana. Both individuals began yelling at eachother. 

Willer told police in a later interview that he was also highly intoxicated and smoked a lot of marijuana before the attempted robbery.

When Willer pulled out his knife, which was 3- to 4-inch folding blade, McGrew pulled out his own 2-inch Gerber knife and stated, “Yeah, I have a knife too.” McGrew then whispered to his passenger that they should run. Both McGrew and his passenger ran out of the vehicle.

McGrew ran back up to his apartment, but told police he went back outside when he saw Martinez and Willer going through his vehicle. They allegedly took one gram of marijuana. McGrew also added that Martinez punched him in the stomach outside of the vehicle. 

After the fracas, the trio fled the scene in Martinez’s vehicle.

Police later searched McGrew’s vehicle and found 19 grams of marijuana. McGrew was also arrested at the scene for an outstanding warrant through Washington County.

Martinez, Shappeck, and Willer have each been charged with one count of party to a crime of an armed robbery. The charge is a felony that carries a penalty of up to 40 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. McGrew has been charged with possession with intent to deliver marijuana. He could be imprisoned up to 3-1/2 years and $10,000 in fines.