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MARINETTE, Wis. -- A Quinnesec man accused of hiding more than a half-pound of drugs on his person during a traffic stop pleaded not guilty Thursday in Marinette County Circuit Court.
Brady Peeters, 23, is charged with possession with intent to deliver narcotics as a party to a crime, second and subsequent offense, a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison; possession with intent to deliver heroin as a party to a crime, second and subsequent offense, a 40-year felony; and possession with intent to deliver cocaine as a party to a crime, second and subsequent offense, a 25-year penalty.
Peeters is also charged with three counts of the possession of drug paraphernalia as party to a crime, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail.
Marinette County Circuit Judge James Morrison entered the not guilty pleas on Peeters' behalf as he stood mute after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing, according to court records.
According to the criminal complaint, a deputy with the Marinette County Sheriff's Office and an officer with the Niagara Police Department stopped Peeters driving a Chevrolet Cavalier in Crivitz, Wis., for a loud exhaust and defective registration and brake lamps on March 18.
Peeters reportedly appeared nervous and presented with bloodshot, glassy eyes, dilated pupils, slurred speech and an odor of marijuana.
Police asked Peeters to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety tests. Peeters was then searched. Authorities detained Peeters and placed him in a squad vehicle after reportedly locating a "hard, unnatural substance" near his groin.
A female passenger, identified in the complaint as Shyann Smith, was also searched and detained.
A K-9 officer indicated the presence of illegal drugs in the Chevrolet Cavalier, the complaint stated. A search revealed a glass smoking device.
When deputies searched Peeters at the Marinette County Jail, they reportedly found a total of 167.3 grams of heroin, 67.6 grams of fentanyl, 25.7 grams of crack cocaine and two glass smoking devices.
Peeters reportedly claimed Smith obtained the drugs from a source in Appleton, Wis., with the intent to sell them and admitted he hid them in his underwear when police initiated the traffic stop, the complaint stated.
A status conference is set for June 11. Bond is set at $50,000 cash.
Smith, a 23-year-old Norway resident who also faces a number of drug-related charges, is scheduled for an initial court appearance April 26.
Brian Christensen can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 229, or bchristensen@ironmountaindailynews.com.