Crime and Court Roundup: Plea deal in the works for former state probation agent

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A plea deal is in the works for a former state probation agent from Wausau, who’s charged with stealing pain-killers from offenders she supervised. Online court records show that a plea hearing has been scheduled January 28th for Kim Hoenisch, who’s also the wife of Marathon County Sheriff Randy Hoenisch. Her attorney, Harry Hertel, tells the Wausau Daily Herald that he believes a resolution has been reached with state prosecutors. He said there are special circumstances, and they’ll come out at the plea hearing – and he said he realized that Hoenisch needs to be held accountable for quote, “her past mistakes.” She was fired from her state job December 19th, two days before she was charged with three drug possession counts, burglary, and misconduct in office. Prosecutors said she repeatedly stole pain-killers from clients at her office, and at homes where she did not have permission to go in.

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A Saint Paul man has pleaded innocent to shooting his girlfriend to death near Wausau. 21-year-old Richi Vue was arraigned in Marathon County yesterday on five felony charges – which also include allegations that he stole a pick-up truck and eluded officers who tried to arrest him. His lawyers say they’ll try to prevent a possible jury from hearing statements Vue made to police upon his arrest. A hearing on pre-trial requests will be the next step in the case – but it has not been scheduled yet. Vue is accused of killing 20-year-old Lee Xiong in an apartment in Weston, just east of Wausau. Prosecutors said the two were dealing meth-amphetamines from the apartment, and a dispute over a drug deal led to the slaying. The murder occurred in a family apartment, and a 14-year-old girl was there at the time. She made the initial calls to police. Previous reports said the gun involved was among 55 stolen in a pair of gun-shop burglaries in Wausau and Lincoln County – and some have been tied to other crimes. Vue remains in jail under a million-dollar bond.

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Milwaukee County prosecutors are considering charges, after customers in a West Allis convenience store restrained a shoplifter who suffered brain damage and died two weeks later. 16-year-old Corey Stingley, a football and track athlete at West Allis Hale, died last Saturday. His family said the teen suffered major brain damage in the incident, which occurred December 14th outside of V-J’s Food Mart. Three customers were questioned by police, and one was referred to the district attorney for causing injury. Now that Stingley has died, Acting Police Chief Charles Padgett expects the D-A to review the behavior of all three customers involved. He said they confronted Stingley inside the store, after he apparently tried to sneak alcohol in his school backpack. A scuffle broke out, and it continued outside the store. Padgett said the customers were holding Stingley down when officers arrived – and rescuers used C-P-R to revive the youngster after he had stopped breathing. He was then taken to Milwaukee’s Froedtert Hospital, where he died. Police would not give other details, saying they’re still investigating. Assistant D-A Mark Williams said he received the case on Wednesday, and it would take a few days to decide on charges. Padgett said the legal issues are complicated. He said people have a right to make a citizens’ arrest – but they need to know the impact of their actions and quote, “there’s a line you can’t cross.”

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