Charges filed against 5 in Iron County murder

By RALPH ANSAMI

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Hurley — Criminal charges were filed Wednesday against five people in the death of a Lac du Flambeau, Wis., man whose body was found on New Year’s Day in the Mercer area.

Wayne M. Valliere Jr., 25, was last seen alive Dec. 22 and was the subject of a missing person investigation led by the Department of Justice’s Department of Criminal Investigation.

Assistant Attorney General Richard Dufour, lead special prosecutor, on Wednesday filed charges in Iron County Circuit Court against Richard F.A. Allen, 27, of Lac du Flambeau; Evan T. Oungst, 27, of Arbor Vitae; Curtis A. Wolfe, 26, of Lac du Flambeau; James B. Lussier, 19, of Arbor Vitae, and Joseph D. Lussier, 26, of Lac du Flambeau.

Oungst said the five suspects were riding in a van and planned to beat up the victim, according to the criminal complaint. Allen had a gun and shot Valliere, the complaint says, and Joseph Lussier then allegedly emptied the gun’s clip into Valliere’s body.

The others are charged with hiding the remains.

Valliere was shot eight times.

One of the suspects is alleged to have talked about what happened while he was housed with other inmates in the Vilas County Jail at Eagle River.

Richard Allen is being held on a $1,000,000 bond in the Iron County Jail at Hurley. The suspects will appear in Iron County Court on March 5, likely at 10:30 a.m., according to court officials.

All of the defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree intentional homicide (murder) as a party to a crime while armed with a dangerous weapon and also with hiding a corpse.

According to the criminal complaint signed by Iron County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Paul Samardich, on Christmas Day Valliere’s mother called Lac du Flambeau tribal police to report her son was missing. He had not been seen since Dec. 22 and it was unusual that he would miss the Christmas holiday.

The victim’s girlfriend later received a text message from Joseph Lussier saying, among other things, “Ya’ll in my prayers.”

The criminal complaint says there was an argument with Valliere over money and a meth pipe that Valliere had allegedly stolen.

Allen is alleged to have struck Valliere and shot him after they wrestled.

After seven more shots into Valliere, the body was then carried into the woods.

The complaint says Valliere, believed by the others to be a confidential informant, had been taken for a ride during which he was given methamphetamine and that he knew it would be his last ride.

The body was recovered behind a berm, hidden off Swamp Creek Road, in a forested area. It was near the end of Moose Lake Road, north of Mercer.

Shell casings and samples of blood-stained snow found in the roadway were recovered. A piece of metal, possibly the rear sight of a handgun, was also recovered.

The gun used was also later recovered, the complaint says. Allen referred to it as “Baby,” according to a witness.

The complains also refers to NS gang activity, translated into Native Soldiers.