Green County

Misdemeanors

●  Rigoberto Ascencio, 39, New Glarus, was charged July 31 with four misdemeanors: theft by contractor, failure to return contract payments, failure to provide customer with lien waiver information and failure to reply to a Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection request. The case is based on reports by a state consumer protection investigator. Court records indicate Ascencio, a home improvement contractor doing business as Driftless Dry Stone, LLC, entered a contract for a landscaping project at a Racine residence in August 2017. The resident paid him a 50% deposit of $2,295 to build a dry stone wall, install a set of wooden stairs in the backyard and install dry stone paving on either side of the front-door walkway. Ascencio failed to start any work for the project, failed to return the deposit and did not respond to civil investigations into his business practices. “The Driftless business account was utilized for expenses that were not associated directly with Driftless business but more likely Ascenio’s personal expenditures, including but not limited to payments to Best Buy, Sony Playstation Network, Apple iTunes and Amazon Prime Membership,” the investigator reported.

●  Joshua Abraham Marass, 26, Brodhead, entered a 12-month deferred prosecution Aug. 13 on misdemeanor charges of possessing psilocybin mushrooms, THC and drug paraphernalia. The case will be fully dismissed if he complies with the deferred prosecution agreement, including attending review hearings and completing an assessment for alcohol or other drug abuse. On April 22, Green County deputies and Brodhead EMS responded to Marass’ home on Theresa Court for a report that he had eaten some psychedelic mushrooms he got from someone in Madison and “now felt like he was dying,” according to police reports. A deputy noted Marass’ pupils were “extremely large” and he was “walking/marching” around the living room because he though his heart would stop if he stopped moving. Marass told the deputy he ate nine or 10 mushrooms an hour and a half earlier after vaping some marijuana. He was forthcoming and cooperative with police. The ambulance took him to a hospital to be checked.