Annie’s Campground owner cited for telephone harassment

GRESHAM — The owner of Annie’s Campground in Gresham has been cited for telephone harassment after pretending to be a Shawano County sheriff’s deputy in a phone call to a Washington state man she claimed had been harassing her.

Ann Retzlaff could have faced a criminal count of impersonating an officer but authorities chose not to pursue that charge after consulting with the district attorney’s office, according to documents provided by the sheriff’s department.

Retzlaff admitted to posing as a sheriff’s department employee, according to those documents, and warning the person she called that he could face arrest or prosecution if he called the campground again.

Retzlaff told authorities she made the call because she has been inundated with harassing calls, messages and death threats over keeping the campground open and operating in spite of COVID-19 concerns.

She did not file any complaints with the sheriff’s department about the alleged harassment at the time.

Retzlaff also posted on Facebook that masks would not be allowed at the campground because of incidents in Shawano in which people wearing COVID face masks have taken advantage of the masks to commit robberies and other crimes.

Both the sheriff’s department and Shawano police have said no such incidents have taken place.

That Facebook post went viral on social media and garnered media attention that increased the harassment, Retzlaff told authorities.

The citation issued carries a $263.50 forfeiture. Retzlaff is scheduled for an Aug. 17 court date on the matter.

tryan@newmedia-wi.com