By Jalen Maki
Tomahawk Leader Editor
MADISON – A Town of Corning man on Thursday, July 23 pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing five firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 30 months in federal prison, according to a release from the office of Scott C. Blader, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin.
Daniel E. Boldt, 46, faced a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison.
“On Aug. 24, 2019, a citizen assisted a female who was walking on a county highway,” the release stated. “She told the citizen that her boyfriend, Boldt, beat her up. The citizen drove the female to the hospital, where investigators interviewed her. Among other things, she said that Boldt was a felon and that he had guns.”
Law enforcement, based on the woman’s account, decided to arrest Boldt. Later that day, deputies set up surveillance in the area of the cabin outside Merrill where Boldt, originally from the Waukesha area, had been staying. Deputy Travis Watruba saw a vehicle matching the description of Boldt’s leaving the residence and conducted a traffic stop on State Rd. 64 near Mill Rd. in the Town of Scott, just west of the City of Merrill. Boldt raised a shotgun during the traffic stop and did not comply with orders to drop it, according to the release.
Watruba, a 13-year law enforcement veteran, fired his weapon and struck Boldt in the shoulder. Â Boldt was flown from the scene to the trauma center at Aspirus Hospital in Wausau and was later released into police custody.
In addition to the shotgun, a 9mm handgun was found in Boldt’s vehicle. Law enforcement recovered a .32 caliber pistol, a .22 caliber rifle, a .22 caliber pistol and .22 caliber ammunition after executing a search warrant at Boldt’s residence, the release said.
Per policy, Watruba was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation of the incident. Lincoln County District Attorney Galen Bayne-Allison ruled the shooting a lawful use of force after an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigations and the preparation of a final report, and Watruba returned to full duty in Oct. 2019.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin announced on Oct. 9, 2019 that a federal grand jury had indicted Boldt for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Boldt had previously been convicted of numerous felonies. In 1992, he was convicted of second degree sexual assault of a child under 16 and burglary of a building/dwelling. He was again convicted of second degree sexual assault of a child under 16 in 1993, according to the release.
“The charge against Boldt was the result of an investigation conducted by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,” the release stated. “The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rita M. Rumbelow.”