Milwaukee undercover drug bust, court employee among 3 charged
MILWAUKEE - A high-ranking Milwaukee County employee is one of three people arrested and charged as part of an undercover drug bust.
In court:
Samotria Matthews, 54, is charged with one count of maintaining a drug trafficking place – as party to a crime.
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Public records show Matthews worked in the Milwaukee County Clerk of Circuit Courts office as senior administrator. A spokesperson for the county confirmed she has been suspended.
Rodney Matthews, 54, and Terrion Matthews, 26, are also charged. Prosecutors said they ran a basement drug operation out of a home owned by Samotria Matthews on 46th Street, south of Hampton Avenue.
Milwaukee County Courthouse
Search and chase
The backstory:
Inside the home near 46th and Hampton, police said they found drugs that tested positive for fentanyl and cocaine, as well as hydraulic presses, scales, and a gun. Police arrested Rodney and Terrion Matthews after a pair of police chases through the City of Milwaukee on April 11.
Clerk of circuit court
Dig deeper:
The clerk of circuit court is essentially the record-keeping office for Milwaukee County's court system. The office is run by an elected official – Anna Maria Hodges – not the county executive, David Crowley.
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But on Saturday, Crowley's gubernatorial campaign sent FOX6 News a statement regarding the arrests:
"David Crowley values transparency and holds people accountable when they make mistakes. That’s what leaders do. While this individual and the Clerk of Courts Office do not report to the Milwaukee County Executive in any way...David expects every Milwaukee County employee to uphold the highest standards of conduct and accountability. We will allow the legal process to proceed and respect the appropriate authorities handling this matter."
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Sam Kraemer and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from public records, court records and David Crowley's gubernatorial campaign.