By Adam Hocking 

Editor

MARSHFIELD — A several month long joint investigation between the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit and Marshfield Police Department culminated in the biggest heroin bust in Marshfield history, according to Marshfield Police Chief Rick Gramza.

Twenty-four-year-old Melvin Dunomes was arrested on Tuesday, Sept. 29, in Marshfield after his vehicle was pulled over as a result of a traffic stop.

Gramza said his department received information that Dunomes was traveling back from the Milwaukee area to central Wisconsin and potentially had narcotics in his possession. Dunomes was arrested on East McMillan Street in Marshfield at 6:25 p.m. Tuesday night after his car was stopped because his registration was suspended due to unpaid parking tickets, Gramza said. Marshfield police officers pulled Dunomes over, and a K9 unit alerted to the presence of narcotics, Gramza said.

Dunomes

“This is the biggest heroin seizure we’ve ever had,” Gramza said, adding that since 2010, 380 grams of heroin had been seized in Marshfield total, and in this incident alone about 80 grams were seized. A press release from the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office said 80 grams of heroin equates to about 1,600 doses and a street value of $80,000.

“We had been looking into (Dunomes) for quite some time, probably numerous months,” Gramza said. “We had information to believe that he was selling heroin in the city of Marshfield and other communities.”

Dunomes was on parole and had recently been released from prison for convictions of possession of marijuana and cocaine, according to the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office.

Photo submitted by Marathon County Sheriff’s Office.

“Although this (arrest) isn’t the cure all to the epidemic of the heroin problem, it’s definitely going to make an immediate impact. Unfortunately, there’s other individuals that usually fill in when something like this happens, so we’re not by any means letting our guard down in reference to fighting the drug problem,” Gramza said. “I’m very proud of the work that our investigators did to make this arrest, and I’m very thankful of the help that was provided by the neighboring agencies.”

Dunomes is in custody at the Marathon County Jail and will be charged with several offenses, including possession of heroin with intent to deliver, maintaining a drug trafficking place, and parole violations, according to the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office. He is slated to appear in Marathon County court on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015.