Police: Drugs in Storage Locker Lead to Charges for Burglary Suspect

A Racine man is custody on drug charges after a Caledonia K-9 officer sniffed out drugs in the storage locker the man rented, police say.

Chad McCloskey, 20, was charged Wednesday in Racine County Circuit Court with a felony count of possession of THC and a misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia. If convicted, he faces up to three years, seven months imprisonment and/or up to $10,500 in fines. Because this would be McCloskey's second or subsequent offense for both charges, he could get extra time tacked onto any sentence he might receive.

According to the criminal complaint, Caledonia police were on patrol when they spotted a vehicle parked alongside J & L Storage, 4534 Douglas Avenue. When officers approached the two individuals - one of who was later identified as McCloskey - they closed the door to the storage locker in front of which they were parked.

A third party was in the car, and police say they recognized the three as suspects in a series of burglaries in the village. The smell of marijuana was very strong, the complaint reads, and when officers asked McCloskey for permission to search his vehicle, he complied.

During the search, police say they located what looked like spilled tobacco on the floor of the car. They recognized that McCloskey and his friends could have emptied a cigar and filled it with marijuana so they could smoke it, the complaint reads. 

McCloskey reportedly told officers he rented the storage unit with his mom and he denied using it to store items. According to the complaint, McCloskey also declined to allow officers to search the storage unit. A witness later confirmed that McCloskey signed the storage lease agreement on his own and paid the monthly fee for both March and April.

On Monday, officers returned to McCloskey's storage unit with a search warrant and a K9 officer who signaled to his handler that drugs were present. Inside, police say they found two drug grinders with a green leafy residue, and a glass bong. They also found small cigars, which police say were used to smoke marijuana and six $100 bills. The green substance on the grinders later tested positive for THC. 

When McCloskey was arrested, he admitted to signing a lease for the storage unit and also said the safe inside the unit was his, the complaint reads.

McCloskey remains in the Racine County Jail on a $2,500 cash bond. His preliminary hearing is set for April 10.