GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – One of the men charged in a drug deal gone bad in Green Bay will have his final pre-trial hearing next month.
22-year-old Michael W. McGee is charged with party to a crime of armed robbery and party to a crime of first-degree reckless injury. Both felonies have repeater enhancers.
According to the criminal complaint, Green Bay police were called to the 900 block of Smith Street on the morning of March 14 for a weapons call. Officers were told that one person had been shot and needed medical attention.
Officers say that upon hearing the 911 call, it was verified that Michael W. McGee was present when the shooting took place and was possibly wanted for the initial allegation of a home invasion with a handgun being used.
The victim was taken to the hospital while two females were taken to the police station for interviews. Those interviews also pointed at McGee as a primary suspect in the robbery.
Police went to McGee’s house where he stepped outside, placed into handcuffs and taken down to the station. McGee allegedly said he would cooperate with the investigation, noting that he, “did nothing wrong,” and, “I’m on probation and have a baby coming.”
The complaint states that while at the police station, McGee told investigators that, “I know you want to know all about the shooting on Smith Street and s*** but I had nothing to do with it.”
After his Miranda rights were read to him, McGee allegedly demonstrated full knowledge of the investigation. He said earlier in the day that he contacted his cousin, Roosevelt Smith, “to assist with a stain.” Police indicate that “stain” is a street term commonly used for a robbery.
McGee, police say, explained they were going to the Smith Street residence for a quarter-pound of marijuana. He later signed a Consent to Search Form for the content of his phone to download all data that was present and deleted for this investigation.
Police say that McGee and Smith agreed to mutually rob the victim of marijuana and split it up amongst each other. McGee allegedly first said that the victim would, “front him marijuana as she has sold him marijuana in the past.” However, investigators say that McGee later withdrew that claim after confronting him about how that made no sense to rob the victim if they fronted the marijuana.
McGee allegedly verified that Smith picked him up in a white, newer minivan and was driving. Inside that van were 2 other black men he didn’t recognize. McGee says they parked the van near the area of Van Buren Street and Eastman Avenue by the railroad tracks.
The complaint states that McGee and one of the unknown black men got out of the van and went to the residence. Once inside, McGee directed one of the people inside to put the marijuana on the scale.
While that happened, McGee told police he heard, “Shhh,” and looked to his right as the unknown black man pulled out a black handgun leading to a struggle between the man and another person inside the residence. McGee then, “heard a loud bang as the gun fired off and he observed the shooting victim fall towards the ground as he sprinted outside.”
McGee provided investigators with his phone records showing dialogue and multiple calls between himself and Smith. He later told police that he had, “no knowledge of the unknown man having a gun on him nor could he identify the unknown man he described as Roosevelt Smith’s friend from Milwaukee.”
However, McGee did allegedly confirm that he and Smith planned the pre-arranged robbery.
The enhancer penalties against McGee stem from his conviction of conspiracy to commit manufacture/deliver heroin on August 15, 2013.
Michael W. McGee returns to Brown County court for his final pre-trial hearing on October 10. If convicted of both charges, McGee faces up to 77 years in prison.
