Former Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant pleads guilty to smuggling contraband

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United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad announced that on July 12, 2024, Johanna Grace, age 34, plead guilty to providing marijuana and a cellular telephone to an inmate of the Waukesha County Jail, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2(a), 1791(a)(1), 1791(b)(3), and 1791(b)(4).

Publicly filed documents reflect that when Grace committed this offense, she was serving as a Lieutenant with the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office. She coordinated with associates outside the Waukesha County Jail to bring contraband inside the facility, and when she realized her crime would be discovered, Grace shared internal law enforcement reports with those same associates.

Grace has acknowledged that as part of her offense of conviction, she obstructed justice.

Grace faces a statutory maximum of five years’ imprisonment. Sentencing is set for October 9, 2024, before United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller.

This matter was investigated by the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine Halopka-Ivery and Kevin Knight.