GRAYLING -- A former Crawford County sheriff's deputy and school DARE officer appeared in a Grayling courtroom on drug charges.
William John Bonkowski III, 45, was arraigned Wednesday in 87th District Court on a felony charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. He faces up to four years behind bars and a $20,000 fine, if convicted.
Defense attorney James Hunt of Traverse City declined to comment for this story, but said during the hearing that he had yet to receive copies of all the evidence against his client. He requested a copy of a search warrant prior to Bonkowski's April 1 pre-trial hearing.
Police arrested Bonkowski, of Grayling, last month as part of a roundup of a dozen suspected drug offenders in Crawford County. He was released after posting a $5,000 cash bond, court records show.
Attorney Magistrate Camarin Talarico continued Bonkowski's bond on Wednesday.
At least one local law enforcement official worried about how Bonkowski's arrest would affect his department's reputation.
"He's tagged as an ex-deputy and anytime something like this happens, it reflects on the department," said Sheriff Kirk Wakefield, Bonkowski's former boss.
Bonkowski worked as a Crawford County deputy between September 1996 and December 2006, when he retired for medical reasons. He worked first as a marine patrol officer and then as a full-time deputy, Wakefield said.
Bonkowski also served as a school liaison officer with the Crawford-Au Sable School District during his time as a deputy and was assigned to the primary and elementary schools in Grayling from 2001 to 2004, school officials said.
That assignment included teaching anti-drug lessons as part of the nation-wide DARE program.
Bonkowski has no prior criminal record.
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