Gas station attempted ax robbery case, Racine man sentenced
William Nelson
RACINE, Wis. - A Racine man, accused in a 2021 gas station attempted ax robbery, has been sentenced to time served.
Court records show 63-year-old William Nelson pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct, possession of drug paraphernalia and two bail jumping counts as part of a plea deal. An attempted armed robbery charge, along with another bail jumping count, were dismissed.
Case details
In May 2021, police were dispatched for a report of a man with an ax in Mount Pleasant gas station. The gas station clerk said the man was wielding the ax in a "threatening manner."
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Officers got a still image of the suspect through surveillance footage and Crime Stoppers later received a tip that led authorities to Nelson.
A car registered in Nelson's name was also spotted on surveillance in the gas station parking lot at the time of the incident. Officers later spotted that vehicle and conducted a traffic stop.
Nelson advised officers during that stop that he had a crack pipe during the traffic stop, and one was found – a criminal complaint states.
Court documents show Nelson has a conviction history dating back to 1981 for various offenses which include burglary and drug-related charges.