West Bend man charged after guns, drugs found at Girl Scout camp property

WEST BEND, Wis. - Investigators say a felon living at a West Bend Girl Scout camp property is facing multiple charges after deputies discovered drugs and firearms inside the home.

What we know:

Authorities say 48-year-old Paul David was living at a residence on the Camp Silver Brook property, where his wife was employed by the Girl Scouts.

This past weekend, sheriff’s deputies were called to the property for a domestic-related incident, which led to the discovery.

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According to a criminal complaint, David is facing 19 total charges, including 13 counts of possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a firearm silencer.

He is also charged with manufacturing and delivering THC, possession with intent to deliver THC, and possession with intent to deliver psilocybin mushrooms, all with additional penalties tied to possessing a weapon and operating within 1,000 feet of a youth center.

Prosecutors have also charged David with maintaining a drug trafficking place and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Dig deeper:

Investigators say David was taken into custody after deputies responded to the home.

While there, law enforcement found marijuana inside the residence and conducted a search of the property.

Authorities say marijuana was found in a closet outside a children’s bedroom, along with additional drugs, including mushrooms, and marijuana packaged in bags and jars throughout the home.

Investigators also reported finding seeds and multiple marijuana plants growing inside the residence.

Court records say law enforcement recovered 13 firearms from the home, including rifles and shotguns.

Investigators say the drugs and firearms were accessible inside the residence, which sits on Girl Scout campground property.

A spokesperson for Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast says David’s wife was an employee and is now on leave during the investigation. The organization says the residence was adjacent to the camp and had passed a background check and inspection as recently as December.

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The West Bend School District sent a letter to parents saying David is not an employee and that all programming at the camp has been suspended for the remainder of the school year.

Court records show David has a criminal history that includes multiple OWI offenses in Wisconsin and a felony DUI conviction in Illinois that resulted in a three-year prison sentence.

David appeared in court Wednesday, where his cash bond was set at $75,000.

What's next:

Court records show he has since posted bond and is no longer in custody. He is due back in court for a hearing in May.

What they're saying:

Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast provided the following statement:

"Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast is aware of a criminal complaint reported at a residence on our property, adjacent to Camp Silver Brook in West Bend on March 15. We were alerted by the Washington County Sheriff's Office on March 16 and immediately launched a thorough investigation. The individual listed in the criminal complaint is not a GSWISE employee.

We understand this news may be concerning, and we want to assure you that this conduct is not in line with our values and policies and that we are addressing it and working with local authorities.

To be clear: No Girl Scouts were hurt or placed in danger in conjunction with this complaint.

Our primary concern — now and always — is the safety of the girls in our care. We are committed to ensuring that our spaces remain safe for local Girl Scouts to explore and learn. GSWISE has camp leadership in place to ensure we are still offering Camp Silver Brook as a safe, fun place for Girl Scouts.

As this is an active investigation, we cannot comment further at this time."

Additionally, the following letter was sent to West Bend Early Learning Program families who used Camp Silver Brook: