Dynamite Sticks Recovered During Drug Bust on Berkeley Boulevard

A police raid on a Whitefish Bay man's home uncovered a marijuana-growing operation in the basement, along with something less common — dynamite.

Brian Hollenbeck, 41, was charged last week with one count of manufacturing a controlled substance and one count of possession of an improvised explosive device.

According to police:

Whitefish Bay and Milwaukee police went to Hollenbeck’s home at 4788 N. Berkeley Blvd. on Aug. 22 when they received a tip from the Milwaukee Police Department Neighborhood Task Force about a drug operation there. When they knocked on the door, Hollenbeck's girlfriend's 10-year-old daughter advised police not to go in the basement because "Brian grows marijuana down there and it stinks."

When police searched the home on Aug. 22, police found a hydroponic growing operation including a climate-controlled room with water tubs, grow lights, a carbon dioxide generator, space heaters, fans and more than 2.6 pounds of marijuana.

Fifty-five stems were recovered from a bag in the attic, indicating that there were that many plants during the time of cultivation. Hollenbeck is being charged for growing between 20 and 50 pot plants.

Police also found two homemade quarter sticks of dynamite, a box of 15 quarter sticks of dynamite, two one-eighth sticks of dynamite and an M-90 stick of dynamite. The explosives were turned over to the Milwaukee Police Department Bomb Squad.

After the search, police checked in on Hollenbeck’s deposit box at , where a bank employee told police the box had been accessed by Hollenbeck’s girlfriend the day after the search. When questioned by police at her home, his girlfriend initially said she only took out his birth certificate, but upon further questioning, she admitted taking out $8,460 in cash, which she then turned over to police.

Hollenbeck was in court for his initial appearance Friday, where Milwaukee County Circuit Court Commissioner Barry Phillips found probable cause to hold him in custody for further proceedings. A preliminary hearing will be held Friday.

If convicted, Hollenbeck faces a maximum 16 years in prison and $35,000 in fines.