MENOMINEE — William John “Billy” Strauss, 34, of Daggett was sentenced to four to 15 years in prison for possession of methamphetamine, Menominee County Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey T. Rogg announced.

Strauss was sentenced as a second habitual offender, increasing the penalty by 50%,

Judge Christopher S. Ninomiya handed down the prison sentence on Tuesday in the 41st Circuit Court.

In June, detectives from the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team learned that Strauss was receiving methamphetamine and fentanyl pills in the U.S. mail at his residence in Daggett, Rogg said. On June 13, the U.S. Postal Inspector’s Office in Green Bay, Wisconsin, intercepted a package.

The USPIO obtained a federal search warrant, with the package containing a red teddy bear containing 3 grams of crystal methamphetamine and 10 blue oxycodone pills.

A second search warrant was executed after the package was delivered. UPSET detectives saw that it had been opened and placed on the kitchen counter. Strauss, who was found hiding in the basement, admitted that he had received previous packages in the mail from Arizona, and that the packages usually contained methamphetamine and Percocet pills.

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has a task force officer program, which embeds local police officers with postal inspectors to enhance investigators by providing access to local law enforcement networks,” Rogg said in a statement. “Postal inspectors across the country work to protect the public by leading the effort to eliminate drugs and contraband in the U.S. mail. This goal was achieved here by prohibiting Mr. Strauss’ illegal drugs in his mail from reaching the street of Menominee.

“Mr. Strauss put not only his future at risk, but the safety or residents on Menominee postal routes in danger, by agreeing to work with national drug dealers.”

Rogg said he is proud of the work performed by the men and women of UPSET in conjunction with the U.S. Postal Service.

“Together, we are committed to holding criminals accountable for this kind of drug trafficking as we work to keep Menominee County safe,” Rogg said.