“Pounds of methamphetamine:” Wausau drug trafficker convicted of multiple charges

A Wausau man who was released four years after waiting for a prior court case to be resolved, only to be arrested again months later on serious drug charges, has reached a plea agreement in his latest case.

Nhia Lee in June was convicted on multiple charges of possessing methamphetamine with intent to deliver and a single charge of manufacturing or delivering amphetamine. Additional charges of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, fleeing an officer and possessing drug paraphernalia were dismissed but read into the record for consideration at sentencing. On June 26, Circuit Judge Scott Corbett ordered a presentencing investigation be completed within 60 days, prior to Lee’s Sept. 24 sentencing date.

An earlier case, which was filed in 2018, landed in the Wisconsin Supreme Court after officials were unable to find a public defender to represent Lee, even though he qualified financially. The state Public Defender’s Office said their organization went through an estimated 100 requests for attorneys to take the case. All turned it down.

Wisconsin law requires the court to hold a preliminary hearing within 10 days of an initial court appearance when a defendant’s cash bond is higher than $500, unless time limits are waived or a judge finds cause for delay. In Lee’s case, 113 days went by before a preliminary hearing was held. An attorney representing Lee asked for a dismissal, alleging that her client’s rights had been violated, and the case made its way to the state’s highest court.

Ultimately, the charges were dismissed and refiled. Lee was ultimately convicted in December 2022 of possessing methamphetamine with intent to deliver and misappropriation of identification to avoid penalty. Circuit Judge Suzanne O’Neill sentenced Lee to three years in prison, but allowed 1,331 days of credit for time served while awaiting trial. Lee was released and ordered to remain on extended supervision.

Two months later he was arrested again after allegedly admitting to selling “pounds” of methamphetamine in the Wausau 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.

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 . 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 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.

Charges were filed Jan. 27, 2023.

Under Wisconsin law, Lee could also face additional penalties connected to the earlier case because he was on extended supervision at the time of his most recent arrest. That means he could be ordered to spend another three years behind bars as part of the earlier sentencing arrangement. Court records show he has a string of prior convictions in multiple counties ranging from battery to fraudulent use of a credit card and other various crimes.

Lee remains behind bars.