Wis. man pleads guilty in TASER theft

By Mike Johnson
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

WAUKESHA, Wis. — One of two men who appeared on YouTube stunning each other with a TASER gun stolen from an East Troy police officer pleaded guilty Monday to illegal possession of an electric weapon.

Paul J. Dupey, 42, of the Town of Waukesha, faces a maximum of three years in prison and three years of extended supervision when he is sentenced on Aug. 6 for the felony.

Dupey's son, Paul M. Crowell, 22, of North Prairie, took the TASER while he was warming himself in a Village of East Troy police officer's squad car after his car went into the ditch on New Year's Day.

According to criminal complaints, Crowell and Dupey then videotaped themselves stunning each other and put the video on the Internet hours after the TASER was stolen.

Authorities tracked the pair down from the video clip posted on YouTube.

The video shows Crowell and his father taking turns holding the probes and firing the TASER, according to court records.

In court Monday, Waukesha Circuit Court Judge Ralph Ramirez asked Dupey, "Did you take the TASER from the officer?"

Replied Dupey, "No sir. My son did. He brought it over to my house."

"And you're the guy that was seen on the Internet on YouTube," asked Ramirez.

"Unfortunately, yes sir," replied Dupey.

Crowell, who also is charged in Waukesha County with possession of an electric weapon, is scheduled to enter a plea on Thursday before Ramirez.

In Walworth County, Crowell was charged with disarming a peace officer, possession of an electric weapon and theft in connection with the incident. He pleaded guilty on June 20 to disarming a peace officer, and the two other charges were dismissed but considered for sentencing.

Crowell was sentenced to two years in prison and two years of extended supervision for the Walworth County conviction.

He won't begin serving that sentence until he completes the two-year prison term Waukesha County Circuit Judge Linda Van de Water imposed in March because Crowell had violated the terms of his probation for 2003 convictions for taking a vehicle without the owner's consent and for fleeing police.

As part of probation in the 2003 case, Crowell was required to stay out of trouble. It was the second time his probation had been revoked.

Van de Water had noted that Crowell had just been released from prison in December and that in no time at all, he was in trouble again for taking the TASER.

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