Suring man held in meth sale

GREEN BAY — A Suring man remains in federal detention until trial after his July 23 arrest following a controlled buy where he allegedly offered to sell methamphetamine to a confidential informant.

According to an affidavit by a special agent of the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation:

Jamie A. Bunch, 50, was arrested in Oshkosh while delivering more than 1.76 ounces of methamphetamine at a location arranged with a confidential informant. Law enforcement then searched Bunch’s Suring residence where they allegedly recovered more than a pound of methamphetamine.

A handgun loaded with hollow-point ammunition also was recovered from Bunch’s residence. Digital scales, drug packaging materials and documents belonging to Bunch were recovered from a locked bedroom in the residence.

On July 30, District Judge William Griesbach refused to release Bunch from custody finding that he is a danger to the community. Griesbach said he based his decision to detain Bunch on the strength of the evidence against him, that the alleged offense occurred while Bunch was on release from another jurisdiction, and he faces a lengthy prison sentence if convicted.

Bunch’s attorney, Federal Defender Thomas Phillip, sought his client’s release saying Bunch was released after posting $4,000 cash bond in an unspecified case pending against him in Indianapolis. Bunch also appeared in court on June 5 in that case and has court dates scheduled in August, according to Phillip.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Roach opposed Bunch’s release, noting that he allegedly tried to sell methamphetamine while on bond from the Indianapolis case.

Roach said he will present the case against Bunch to a grand jury within 30 days and, if indicted, a trial date will be set.

Roach declined to detail the alleged contacts Bunch had with the confidential informant prior to his July 23 arrest.

Bunch was charged by complaint with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.

He is being held in the Brown County Jail.

Bunch has prior misdemeanor convictions for disorderly conduct, criminal damage to property with a habitual criminality enhancer.