Kevin Murphy Leader Correspondent
A Neopit man who aided a convenience store burglary, stole a car, nearly sideswiped a tribal police officer and fled law enforcement at a 100 mph was sentenced Monday in federal court to three years in prison and was placed on three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Merwin J. Wynos Jr., 28, drove a male juvenile to the Thunderbird convenience store early on June 1, 2015. The juvenile smashed a window to enter the store, took liquor and other items and left. Not hearing the alarm, Wynos and the boy returned to the store, and the boy took more items and they drove away on County Road VV.
Wynos pulled to the side of the road as Menominee Tribal Police Sgt. Vincent Grignon was responding to the burglary alarm.
Grignon stopped his squad near a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt that Wynos was in and got out, according to court documents. Grignon recognized Wynos from other contacts but did not know the front seat passenger.
Grignon ordered the occupants to show him their hands and while the passenger complied, Wynos instead accelerated toward Grignon who was standing between the two cars, according to court documents. Grignon jumped on the door frame of his squad and pulled the door close to his stomach just as Wynos sped past him.
Grignon said he could have reached out and touched the Cobalt, according to court documents.
Grignon sped into Menominee County where a sheriff’s deputy joined Grignon in pursuit at speeds exceeding 100 mph, according to court documents.
Wynos ran stop signs and eventually crashed after failing to turn a corner on Broadway Road.
He was drinking alcohol from a bottle taken from the Thunderbird when approached by Menominee sheriff’s deputies, according to court documents. His passenger ran but was later arrested.
Bottles of alcohol and cartons of cigarettes were recovered from the car.
Wynos later told police that before he was arrested, he and juvenile pushed a car out of a driveway so as not to alert the residents and then started it and drove to the Thunderbird.
Wynos admitted he fled officers at speeds exceeding 100 mph in an attempt to get off the reservation and into Shawano.
In connection with the incident, Shawano County charged Wynos with fleeing an officer, driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent and OWI with a passenger under 16 years old.
In July, Shawano County Circuit Judge William Kussel Jr. placed Wynos on two years’ probation, one year in jail and revoked his driving privileges for 14 months, according to online court records.
In federal court, Wynos pleaded guilty to impeding an officer and aiding and abetting a burglary.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Maier said Wynos’ dangerous conduct toward the officer and prior convictions factored into the sentence.
“Judge (William Griesbach) said this was a seriousness offense,” which had potentially serious consequences for Grignon, Maier said.
Wynos’ attorney sought a 2½-year sentence but Griesbach adopted Maier’ sentencing recommendation.
Wynos has prior convictions for burglary, solicitation, obstructing an officer and possessing THC.
He is scheduled to be arraigned before Kussel on Tuesday on an escape charge.