New Judge assigned to Mathus case

A new judge has been assigned to the case involving a Chicago man accused of having more than 100 grams of fentanyl in Ashland County with the intent to deliver it.

Bayfield County Circuit Court Judge John P. Anderson will preside over the case involving Charles Mathus, 56, replacing Ashland County Circuit Court Judge Kelly McKnight.

Mathus was found with 111 grams of fentanyl with an estimated street value of $55,000, according to the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office. He was taken into custody May 20 in Sanborn, near the Bad River Casino.

Mathus is being charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver dangerous drugs and is being held on a $50,000 cash bond.

According to the criminal complaint, Mathus was traveling on an Indian Trails bus on May 20 with the drugs. Mathus got off the bus in Odanah and began walking down Highway 2. As he was walking eastbound, Mathus was approached by Ashland County Sheriff’s Office personnel and eventually arrested. Upon searching his belongings, a black gym sock was found with a hard object inside of it. The item turned out to be a vacuum bag with a white powder substance inside of it. The item weighed 111 grams and tested positive for fentanyl, the complaint stated.

In an interview with law enforcement, Mathus apologized and said he would just take what’s coming to him, the complaint stated.