MARIJUANA ADDICTION INFORMATION AND TREATMENT

A 23-year-old Fond du Lac man accused of shipping several pounds of marijuana through the mail has been charged with party to the crime of possession with intent to deliver.

Gabriel Urbina, of 51 21st St., made his initial appearance in Fond du Lac County Circuit Court earlier this week. Judge Richard Nuss ordered Urbina held on a $5,000 cash bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 22.

The charge carries maximum penalties of 12½ years in prison and a $25,000 fine.

Investigators with the Wisconsin Department of Justice, U.S. Postal Inspections Service and the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group arrested Urbina during a sting operation set up in a Ripon home.

According to the criminal complaint, Urbina had arranged for the owner of the home to receive shipment of postal packages containing marijuana. The homeowner told investigators Urbina told her the packages contained presents for his family. She said Urbina gave her $300 for accepting the packages.

The woman said she received the first package in the mail sometime in September or October and then Urbina asked her to accept another package. That package, according to the complaint, never arrived.

Last week, according to the complaint, Urbina approached the woman again and asked her if she would accept another package this week. That package was intercepted by postal inspectors. A K-9 working for the inspections department had hit on the package as possibly containing narcotics and, using a search warrant, the package had been opened and found to contain 8.9 pounds of marijuana.

According to the complaint, postal inspectors had intercepted another package to be sent to the same Ripon address in October. That package contained 12 pounds of marijuana.

Investigators arrested Urbina Dec. 4 when he showed up at the woman’s home to pick up the package. While he was there, and while investigators were in other rooms in the house listening, Urbina asked the woman if she would receive another package.

He was arrested when he left the woman’s home with the package containing the 8.9 pounds of marijuana.