Waushara County Man Sentenced for Possession of Child Pornography, Machine Gun, and Threats to Law Enforcement
WAUTOMA, WI (OnFocus) – The Waushara County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced that a Waushara County man has been sentenced to four years in state prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography, possession of a machine gun, and making threats to law enforcement.
Stanley W. Waters III, 51, of Redgranite, was convicted in Waushara County Circuit Court on July 17, 2025, as part of a plea agreement with the Waushara County District Attorney’s Office. In addition to his prison sentence, Waters was ordered to serve five years of extended supervision and must register as a sex offender for 15 years upon release.
The charges stemmed from a 2024 firearms investigation that initially focused on John Taylor, 37, and Allison Mundt, 31, who were later sentenced in federal court for trafficking methamphetamine and firearms. As part of that investigation, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence in the Town of Warren, where Stanley Waters was present but not the original target.
Waters was non-compliant during the search, resulting in a K9 deployment and his transport to the hospital. After returning to the scene following his release, he made threats toward law enforcement, which ultimately led to criminal charges. Subsequent investigation uncovered critical evidence linking him to the possession of child pornography and a machine gun.
“The Waushara County Sheriff’s Office remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community, our children,” said Sheriff Walter Zuehlke. “We continue to work diligently with local, state, and federal partners to investigate and prosecute individuals involved in the possession, distribution, or production of child pornography. These crimes are taken with the utmost seriousness, and we will pursue every available legal avenue to ensure offenders are held fully accountable.”
“This was a disturbing case involving threats to law enforcement, a machine gun, and child pornography,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle of the St. Paul Field Division. “Waters was staying with individuals already under federal investigation, and what law enforcement encountered at that location reflected a serious risk to community safety. ATF was proud to support our law enforcement partners in holding those involved accountable and helping to restore peace in Waushara County.”
The Waushara County Sheriff’s Office extends its gratitude to the many agencies that contributed to this case, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (Milwaukee Field Office and Special Response Team 1), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin (Green Bay Division), the Waushara County District Attorney’s Office, the Central Wisconsin Drug Task Force, the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group, the Oshkosh Police Department Vice and Narcotics Unit, and Homeland Security Investigations. Their collaboration and commitment were instrumental in bringing this case to a successful resolution.
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Author: News Desk
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