KENOSHA, Wis. – A 19-year-old Kenosha man already facing an avalanche of open criminal cases—most of them felonies—was granted $1,000 cash bail Friday after being charged with smuggling marijuana into the Kenosha County Jail.

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Darrell B. Galvin, who already has nearly a dozen open cases in Kenosha County Circuit Court and a felony drug conviction from Columbia County, now faces 11 new charges stemming from a May 29 incident inside the jail. If convicted across all of his open cases, Galvin could be sentenced to more than 100 years behind bars.

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Court Commissioner William Michel II set bail at only $1,000 for the new case. Galvin’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 5.

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Smuggling Marijuana in Jail

According to the criminal complaint, jail staff were alerted late on the night of May 29 that Galvin may be concealing contraband. A fellow inmate had tipped off jailers via the facility’s tablet messaging system. In response, correctional officers conducted a dormitory-wide search.

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When Officer Sanchez searched Galvin, he discovered a sealed commissary coffee bag tucked in Galvin’s underwear. Inside the bag were multiple layers of plastic wrap, toilet paper, and a ball-shaped object. When opened, it emitted a strong odor of fresh marijuana. Testing later confirmed it contained 7.04 grams of THC.

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Galvin reportedly waived his Miranda rights and admitted to Deputy Leyden of the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office that he was in possession of the marijuana. He said he purchased it from another inmate and arranged the payment through a third party using Cash App. He also admitted he planned to consume the drug orally to avoid detection from smoking.

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Galvin told officers he was “chasing his high” and claimed he was addicted to marijuana.

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A Pattern of Bail Violations

The complaint details a lengthy list of open cases in which Galvin was out on bond at the time of the new offense. In each of those cases, he signed conditions agreeing not to possess drugs or commit new crimes:

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• 23CM1990 – Misdemeanor retail theft and bail jumping; $1,000 cash bond.
• 24CF117 – Felony possession with intent to deliver THC and bail jumping; $2,000 cash bond.
• 24CF495 – Multiple felony and misdemeanor charges including bail jumping and THC possession; $2,000 cash bond.
• 24CF863 – Three felony bail jumping counts and additional misdemeanors; $1,500 cash bond.
• 25CF221 – Felony bail jumping, battery, disorderly conduct, and THC possession; $2,500 cash bond.

In every case, Galvin signed paperwork affirming that he understood he could not commit new crimes or possess controlled substances.

The new charges filed Friday include:

• Possession of an illegal article by an inmate (Class I felony)
• Possession of THC – second and subsequent offense (Class I felony)
• Four counts of violating jail rules (Class C misdemeanors, all as a repeater)
• Misdemeanor bail jumping
• Four separate counts of felony bail jumping

Many of the charges include repeater enhancers due to Galvin’s 2024 felony conviction for methamphetamine possession in Columbia County.

Maximum Penalties Stack Up

Each Class I felony carries a maximum sentence of 3 years and 6 months, plus an additional 4 years due to repeater status. The Class H felony bail jumping charges each carry 6-year maximums, which can also be increased by 4 years under repeater laws. The jail violations, while misdemeanors, could be enhanced up to 2 years each under repeat offender statutes.

If convicted of all charges just in this newest case, Galvin faces over 35 years in prison. When added to the charges pending in his other open cases, the total potential exposure exceeds 100 years.

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