Two decorated Brookfield Central High School athletes were charged Friday with selling drugs.
Gage Malensek, 18, and Julian Banda, 17, both of Brookfield were charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court after a series of undercover operations conducted by the Waukesha County Metro Drug Unit.
Malensek was charged with four counts of manufacturing or delivering THC, one count as a party to a crime, one count of maintaining a drug trafficking place, two counts of possession of THC, and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He pleaded not guilty on Friday, March 1, and signed a $7,500 signature bond.
His next court date is April 1.
Banda was charged with manufacturing or delivering marijuana and maintaining a drug trafficking place. No additional online court records for Banda were available Friday.
Malensek and Banda are seniors.
Malensek had signed a national letter of intent to play basketball for Division II Truman State University in Missouri. He was a four-year varsity player, but has been removed from the team.
As a sophomore, Malensek was the Greater Metro Conference Player of the Year in 2017 and helped lead the Lancers to the state tournament. He was honorable mention All State as a junior and first-team All State as a sophomore in Division 1, according to the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association.
Banda led the Greater Metro Conference in receiving yards in 2018 for the Division 2 state runner-up Central football team. He was honorable mention All State as a junior and senior.
According to a criminal complaint, both athletes admitted to arranging or conducting a series of drug deals when confronted by police.
Malensek told a detective he was involved in selling marijuana and marijuana wax.
Banda said he sold leaf marijuana and vape cartridges once, at Malensek’s request, but was not a dealer. However, Banda said he did get free marijuana wax to smoke or vape from Malensek as a result of helping him out.
Drug deals in Brookfield
The criminal complaint describes four drug deals, all in Brookfield, that investigators arranged through confidential informants.
In each instance, informants met with and bought marijuana from either Malensek or Banda at a plaza in the 2000 block of North Calhoun Road, a gas station and, once, at Banda’s home.
After arranging and executing the buys, police later searched Malensek’s home in the 14000 block of Providence Lane, according to a search warrant affidavit. Investigators also met with and searched Malensek at Brookfield Central.
Both searches turned up various quantities of marijuana and related paraphernalia, according to the complaint.
