By Shereen Siewert
A man released in December after spending four years in jail waiting for his court case to be resolved in Wausau is jailed again, this time after allegedly admitting to selling “pounds” of methamphetamine in the area.
To put the amount in perspective, the typical dose of methamphetamine is comparably small. Like other street drugs, meth is sold in various measurements. An ounce of meth sells for between $700 and $1,500, depending on the quality. A half gram of meth: $15 to $80, according to the Northeast Treatment Center
As Wausau Pilot & Review previously reported, former Green Bay resident Nhia Lee was jailed in 2018 after police discovered more than 40 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle during a traffic stop. After years of delays, Lee took his case to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, alleging his rights were violated. Ultimately, he was sentenced in December to time served on two felony charges: possessing methamphetamine with intent to deliver and misappropriation of ID to avoid penalty. He was released and ordered to remain on extended supervision for three years.
Less than two months later, Lee, who now lists a Wausau address, was arrested again. According to a criminal complaint, officers tried to stop his vehicle just before noon on Jan. 25 on the city’s west side. The stop was prompted by a tip one day earlier that suggested Lee, who goes by the nickname “Money,” was in Wausau and had brought a large quantity of methamphetamine to the area with two accomplices – Jenna Slaby and Sam Emmerich. Police were already armed with the information that Lee had traveled to Wausau from Minnesota on several prior occasions to sell drugs – and they were also aware lee had a history of weapons violations.
The traffic stop was initiated on North 28th Avenue at the request of the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force. But when an officer tried to stop the black Mitsubishi Lancer, the driver, later identified as Lee, fled north, allegedly blowing through stop signs before heading west on County Hwy. U.
Multiple agencies assisted as police tracked Lee as he fled from the city. Police say he passed through the intersection of County Hwy. S at Hwy. 29, ignoring the stop sign without regard for oncoming traffic. The chase continued with speeds topping 100 mph, according to court documents. At one point, Lee allegedly rove onto a snowmobile trail as the chase continued – resulting in a damaged squad car and a near miss with a truck. Eventually, Lee lost control of his vehicle and fled on foot – but was quickly apprehended.
Police discovered about 32 grams of methamphetamine, thousands of dollars in cash, a glass pipe and a memo book containing “account information” in Lee’s vehicle. Lee allegedly admitted the cash was from drug sales and said he had brought two pounds of methamphetamine from Minnesota, sold it and was returning to get two more pounds.
Lee’s alleged accomplices, Childers and Slaby, were stopped in a vehicle after they left a South 6th Avenue home. Investigators found additional drugs during that stop, along with a .40-caliber weapon, according to court documents.
Lee was charged Jan. 27 with first-degree recklessly endangering safety, possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, manufacturing or delivering amphetamine, fleeing an officer and possessing drug paraphernalia connected to an incident on Wednesday in Wausau.
Because he was on extended supervision, Wisconsin’s version of parole, Lee could be ordered to spend another three years behind bars in addition to any penalties from the latest case.
Court records show Lee has a string of prior convictions in multiple counties ranging from battery to fraudulent use of a credit card and other various crimes.
He remains behind bars on a $150,000 cash bond.
