GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A drug addict is due back in court later this month on a host of charges including drug possession, theft, obstructing an officer and bail jumping.
29-year-old David J. Hoskins is facing 19 counts due to repeated brushes with law enforcement dating back to October 2015.
Hoskins first got into the public eye following his arrest while using drugs at an apartment on University Avenue earlier this year.
Now, we’ve received several more criminal complaints of Hoskins which have been combined into one upcoming court appearance.
One criminal complaint details allegations that a group of people were allegedly committing retail thefts at a Toys R Us store last October. A complainant tells a Green Bay police officer that the group would steal items and then return them for the cash amounts.
Evidence, including paperwork detailing those transactions and video of the suspects involved, were turned over to police.
One of the alleged major subjects of the thefts was identified as David J. Hoskins. Hoskins had been seen either coming into the store or in the vehicles that other people are returning to after making the fake transactions.
The vehicle’s license plate was seen during one of those transactions by a loss prevention member, who wrote down the number. Its registration was listed under the name David J. DeGroot, who was also listed as having made a couple fraudulent transactions. DeGroot is an alias used by Hoskins, according to police records.
The group, according to the complaint, was responsible for over $1,000 worth of fake transactions.
When questioning one of the other suspects in the group, police learned that she had been contacted by “David H” to see if she wanted to make some money. He allegedly picked her up and they went to Toys R Us. On the way there, Hoskins told her what to do, that he would select an item for her to return and tell the employee that, “She lost the receipt.”
After obtaining a gift card from the store, Hoskins would, “Take the cards to Checks for Cash and get 60% value in cash.” Other times, Hoskins would allegedly sell the gift cards to an unidentified man.
Another criminal complaint details a similar scam from late November to early December of 2015. A Green Bay police officer was called to a Kohl’s store for a retail theft.
According to a loss prevention employee, there were several cases involving a man and a woman. The man was identified as David J. Hoskins. Video footage seen by a police officer allegedly shows Hoskins entering the store on November 30 through the front doors with no merchandise or bag in his hand. He then goes off camera for a moment, then reappears with, “Two Chi hair straighteners under his arm.”
Hoskins is then seen walking back to the customer service desk and return the items without a receipt. The value of the items is put on a card for in-store credit, and is given to him. Over several incidents, Hoskins was given $472.45 of store credit.
On December 2, police officers were contacted that Hoskins and the woman was at the store again. Officers arrived, waited in the parking lot for them and then learned of the license plate number for the car they were in and make a traffic stop.
A search of the car allegedly found several make up bags and purses in the back seat, one in which contained open syringes, cotton swabs, matches and garbage. In another bag, officers found more syringes, alcohol wipes, cotton balls, a tin cap and several orange syringe caps.
The woman allegedly admitted that she, “Is a regular heroin user and she has used heroin as recently as yesterday.”
Hoskins was later arrested following a theft incident at a different Kohl’s store involving two other men. One of the men told officers that he allegedly took part because, “(Hoskins) was going to give him money for taking the items and returning them.”
The complaint states that Hoskins needed him to return the items because he had an identification card. He also admitted that he, “Was trying to make a few dollars for doing the return for Hoskins.”
The last criminal complaint comes from an incident on April 16 at a Green Bay motel. Police were called to that motel for a drug complaint.
Prior to their arrival, officers were told that housekeeping staff tried to access one of the rooms but were told, “They didn’t need room service.” As the door opened, they smelled a strong odor of burnt marijuana.
Also, the room right next door was cleaned but not before staff noticed a, “White powdery substance on the countertop, cut straws near the powdery residue and what he described as ‘blood all over.’”
Officers knocked on the first door, which caused the door to open a bit. A man was seen sitting at a table, who was later identified as David J. Hoskins.
When the cops announced their arrival, Hoskins was allegedly seen picking something up from the table and walk fast towards the back of the room, which from previous calls is known to be where the bathroom is. The door was then forced open, breaking the security latch, and the cops yelled, “Don’t flush it!”
The cops overheard the toilet flush and later in an interview Hoskins admitted to flushing Adderall.
The complaint goes on to state the Hoskins was allegedly seen with several open wounds on his arms. He also admitted to having a glass pipe in his shorts pocket.
A search of his room uncovered two cut down straws with white powdery residue inside and the glass “crack” pipe. At that time, Hoskins had 5 warrants out of Brown County, one out of Ashwaubenon and several for Green Bay police.
Hoskins, during an interview at the Brown County Jail, allegedly told police his mother rented the room for him and that he has a drug problem. He admits to, “Crushing up Adderall and snorting them and that when we knocked on the door he flushed the remaining pills he had.”
David J. Hoskins will return to court on June 28 for a final pre-trial hearing on all of the charges he’s currently facing.
