Brookfield Teen's Bracelet Choice and Air Fresheners Lead to Drug Bust

An 18-year-old Brookfield man is facing felony drug charges after car air fresheners and a marijuana leaf bracelet led an Elm Grove police officer to suspect there were drugs in the car.

Charles B. Zillmer was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court Wednesday with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of cocaine, THC, drug paraphernalia and an illegally obtained prescription drug. If convicted, he faces up to 14 ½ years in prison and $32,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint:

On Nov. 15, an Elm Grove police officer on patrol in the 14300 block of Watertown Plank Road saw Zillmer driving 40 to 45 miles per hour in a 25-mph speed zone and pulled him over. Zillmer appeared nervous during the traffic stop, and the officer noticed a strong smell of air freshener coming from the car and saw a bracelet Zillmer had on with a marijuana leaf on it.

The officer called for a canine unit, which detected drugs in the car. A search found marijuana in the center console and a backpack with a metal snorting device, baggies of white powder, capsules with white powder inside, a box of 150 sandwich baggies and two Skelaxin pills.

Officers also discovered 15 new air fresheners in the car and another 200 to 300 baggies in the trunk. When they searched Zillmer they found $3,000 in cash in his pocket and a small rock of cocaine.

Zillmer told the officers the pills were MDMA and he bought them so he and a friend could take them to a concert they were planning to attend. He said the cocaine was his and half of the $3,000 was proceeds from selling drugs.

He will make his first court appearance July 9.