Only one of the three individuals involved in a court case related to a series of manure-spreading incidents in Kewaunee is still on the hook after several charges were dismissed last week. Last Thursday, Judge David Weber granted an order of dismissal without prejudice for charges against Kewaunee farmer Johannes Wakker and his crop consultant Benjamin Todd Koss. According to the amended complaint filed on January 25th, the charges alleging a conspiracy to commit a crime and fraudulent writing were dropped against Wakker, Koss, and manure hauler Gregory Stodola. An investigation in 2021 showed that Stodola intentionally over-applied manure contrary to the conditions of Walker’s Nutrient Management permit. The complaint accuses Stodola of manipulating the record-keeping before sending the falsified information to Wakker and Koss for their review. The actual amounts were collected from data on Stodola’s equipment. Wakker forwarded the documentation to Koss to be sent into the DNR, where the numbers were further fabricated to ensure everything was done to an acceptable and legal standard. He told the DNR conservations that manure was being over-applied on several occasions, leading to some pollutant discharge events. The complaint does not explain why the fraudulent writing and conspiracy to commit crime charges, felonies in Wisconsin, were dropped. Stodola is still facing three counts of discharging pollutants into the state’s waters, which includes fines and possible jail time.
