(Kenosha County Sheriff)
PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. – A simple warrant arrest turned into a scene straight out of a bad comedy script Monday after Pleasant Prairie police stopped a maroon Ford F-150 and discovered drugs, a gun, and a cloth bag that screamed irony: “Definitely Not a Bag Full of Drugs.”
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Stephen J. Cicchini, 37, of Kenosha, was formally charged Tuesday in Kenosha County Circuit Court with possession with intent to deliver cocaine (second and subsequent offense), carrying a concealed weapon, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Commissioner William Michel II ordered $5,000 cash bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 16.
According to the complaint, Officer Moorehouse was on patrol when he spotted a Ford truck near 75th Street that was believed to be occupied by Cicchini, who had an active arrest warrant for unpaid child support. The truck pulled into the Aldi parking lot and both Cicchini and the driver, later identified as 37-year-old Edward Kaelber, exited and tried to create distance from the officer. Kaelber walked away but returned minutes later and was arrested.
The department’s K9, Chase, was called to the scene and alerted to the vehicle. What officers found inside could’ve been the plot of a late-night sketch: a loaded Rock Island .45-caliber pistol, crack cocaine, glass smoking pipes with burnt residue, a metal spoon, a scale, sandwich baggies with the corners cut off—and, most memorably, a bag labeled “Definitely Not a Bag Full of Drugs.”
Officers say many of the items were within reach of both men. The bag contained not just drugs, but Kaelber’s wallet and ID card, suggesting ownership. Police also recovered a written ledger and three cell phones—common tools in street-level drug distribution.
Cicchini is accused of possessing cocaine with the intent to sell, a felony that carries up to 10 years in prison, plus an additional four years due to his prior conviction in 2021 for cocaine possession. The gun charge is a misdemeanor, as is the paraphernalia count.
Kaelber, also of Kenosha, was charged Wednesday in Kenosha County Circuit Court with possession with intent to deliver cocaine (repeater, second and subsequent offense), possession of a firearm by a felon (repeater), and possession of drug paraphernalia (repeater). He has two prior felony convictions for cocaine distribution—one in 2007 in Kenosha County and another in 2023 in Winnebago County—and is currently on felony probation. His wallet was found inside the now-infamous cloth bag. Commissioner William Michel II set his cash bail at $15,000.
Pleasant Prairie Police released a light-hearted but pointed statement on Tuesday. “Our officers located a vehicle tied to a wanted person,” it read. “But once they made contact, it quickly became clear there was a lot more going on than just a warrant!” They included a photo of the seized evidence—yes, including that bag—and ended the message with #JustSayNoToDrugs.
If convicted on all counts, Cicchini faces more than a decade in prison. Kaelber could face even more time due to his prior felony convictions and repeater status.
This article was updated to include formal charges and bail information for Edward Kaelber, who was charged on July 9, 2025.
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10 Responses
Hook about a prepackaged conviction. They were driving a maroon truck the way Bugs Bunny used to say, “what a maroon”.🥴
Didn’t that happen at aldis
That face(Cicchini) only a mother could love!
Outstanding police work 🤣 to think anyone wouldn’t look in a bag that says not a bag full of drugs that’s the first bag out of a thousand I’d check ! Again great police work would if they listened to the clearly mislabeled bag 🥸
Literally Dumb & Dumber! You absolutely can not fix stupid!
Carli, if you plan to run again these two would make a great campaign manager
These guys are funny !!!
question, Which white family is worse, Kaelber or Barnhill? I say the Barnhill’s
Clearly, the Kaelber Family psychological plumbing was all plugged up. And the Cicchini Family asphalt didn’t properly set and dry. Dear departed Eddie and live Jim did not properly seed and water their gardens. The results are very funny.
Helter Skelter!