Port storage unit search leads to drug charges

A 55-year-old man with multiple convictions for drug offenses was bound over for trial on felony charges in Ozaukee County Circuit Court last week after authorities searched a storage unit he rented in the Town of Port Washington and found more than a pound of marijuana and other evidence of a drug operation, according to a criminal complaint.

Gabriel A. Crivello, a Milwaukee resident who used to live in Port Washington, is charged with possession with intent to deliver marijuana and possession of a controlled substance. Both crimes are charged as second or subsequent offenses, which means Crivello would face enhanced penalties if convicted.

During a Jan. 9 preliminary hearing, Ozaukee County Circuit Judge Adam Gerol determined there is probable cause to support the charges against Crivello, who pleaded not guilty to the charges.

According to the complaint, an Ozaukee County sheriff’s deputy searched Crivello’s storage unit on Sunset Road in the Town of Port Washington on Friday, Dec. 26, and found 12.9 grams of what authorities said appeared to be psychedelic mushrooms in a bag labeled “Penis Envy” and multiple packages of marijuana, which had a total weight of 510.5 grams.

Various bags, jars and scales were also found in the unit.

According to authorities, the amount of marijuana found in the unit is substantially more than someone would have for personal use, and the deputy noted that some of the marijuana was packaged for sale, the complaint states.

Later that day, the deputy pulled Crivello over in Port Washington. A ledger listing names, numbers and addresses, as well as what appeared to be a price list, was found in the vehicle. Marijuana was also found in the car, according to the complaint.

In October 2024, Crivello pleaded guilty to the second or subsequent offense of possession of marijuana and was sentenced by Ozaukee County Circuit Judge Steve Cain to one year in prison followed by two years of extended supervision.

Crivello was also convicted of drug offenses in Ozaukee County in 1995 and 1991, according to court records.

During last week’s hearing, Crivello’s attorney, Christin Saint Pierre, asked Gerol to dismiss the possession of narcotics charge related to the mushrooms found in the storage unit. Gerol denied the motion but said Saint Pierre can renew it at a later date.

Crivello is being held in the county jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.