Milwaukee, WI
Sam Stair arrest is part of a bigger landlord issue, Milwaukee officials say
Watch surveillance footage of federal raid at S2 Real Estate office.
Federal agents arrested 18 people this week in a drug conspiracy case, including Sam Stair, the owner of S2 Real Estate, and his business manager.
Footage courtesy of U.S. Petro, editing by Angelica Edwards/ The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee elected officials say the recent arrest and charging of a Milwaukee landlord in a sprawling drug case showed the city needs to take problematic landlords and the tenants who report them more seriously.
Sam Stair, 52, owner of S2 Real Estate Group, was arrested by federal agents early on April 22 and charged with multiple drug charges stemming from renting houses to be used for drug trafficking. In the week since the arrest, elected officials and community groups responded with alarm and said it showed a need for more to be done against problematic landlords.
“I’m angry. I’m disappointed,” said Ald. Jose Perez, who represents parts of the city’s south side and is president of the Common Council. “We want these properties to be caught sooner.”
Stair owns and manages over 150 properties, which have over 500 units and are mainly concentrated on the city’s south side. The charges against him and 17 others suggest a wide-ranging operation where Stair would lease homes that would be used by drug dealers either as stash houses, for storing drugs, or as trap houses, for selling drugs to dealers, according to a 176-page criminal complaint.
Stair, whose properties are the frequent subject of tenant complaints, is accused of earning over $1.5 million as part of this operation, which included using these dealers to manage his properties, including finding those addicted to drugs to rent the units to, according to court documents.
The case has been under investigation since May 2024.
Stair’s arrest and the charges against him have been pointed to by community members and organizations as a clear example of a gap in the city’s safety. On April 26, the public safety organization Common Ground pointed to it when promoting a plan for improving safety on the city’s South Side.
In a statement, the group said “negligent landlords” like Stair are hurting Milwaukee neighborhoods “in order to maximize their profits.”
“The victimization of these neighborhoods is systemic,” said Jack Eckblad, Milwaukee County District 4 Supervisor, who endorsed the safety plan. “It erodes trust in institutions like the police, like the fire department.”
At that event, Danyell Austin, a tenant of Stair’s, told the Journal Sentinel she and other tenants are left uncertain of how to move forward or whether to continue paying rent. Austin rents a commercial storefront from Stair’s company S2 Real Estate Group on West Greenfield Avenue and South Layton Boulevard.
Community Advocates, a nonprofit that helps low-income families meet their basic needs, recommends that tenants hold on to traditional rent payments, like checks, until further notice. However, if tenants are able to pay through their online portal, they should continue to do so, as that is typically more secure, said Shawanna Lindenberg, the organization’s housing department manager.
Austin has reported myriad concerns with the company to the council member in her district, JoCasta Zamarripa, mainly relating to unresolved maintenance issues which she continues to struggle with to this day.
In an interview prior to Stair’s arrest, Zamarripa told the Journal Sentinel she had received messages from a few constituents but was unaware of the severity of tenant complaints or Stair’s business model.
Austin said she’s not surprised that the city hadn’t acted against Stair before his arrest.
“He acts like he was untouchable,” Austin said. “He’s likeable, he has the money behind him, he knows that most people don’t have the financial stability to fight against him in court if it really comes to it.”
Stair is not the first Milwaukee landlord charged for drug dealing. In 2017, Kenneth D. Churchill III pleaded guilty to a charge of distributing heroin.
He was a significantly less prolific landlord than Stair. Churchill operated 12 properties and half had a designation as drug houses, the Journal Sentinel reported at the time.
Stair’s arrest and prior incidents like Churchill’s show the need for more coordination between the city and more attention to residents’ concerns, Perez said.
“I don’t think we’re making the connection with some of the complaints we have in the neighborhood with an enterprise similar to what we’ve seen in the news – a drug enterprise,” he said.
Stair’s arrest gives the city the opportunity to build off that momentum and hold other problematic landlords accountable, said Milwaukee County District 14 Supervisor Caroline Gomez-Tom, who represents parts of the city’s south side.
While many were unaware of Stair’s actions, Gomez-Tom said tenants were reporting concerns and deserved to be listened to.
“Sometimes, unfortunately, its falls to deaf ears. Either they’re reporting it to police or they’re reporting it to elected officials,” Gomez-Tom said. “The need is there for stronger responses to even the smallest concerns. If one person is reporting it, many other people are seeing it.”
Stair appeared in federal court on April 22 and remains in custody. He is due back in court for a detention hearing on April 27.
David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at: dclarey@gannett.com.
Alyssa Salcedo covers Silver City, Layton Park and Burnham Park for the Journal Sentinel’s Neighborhood Dispatch. Contact: asalcedo@usatodayco.com.
Neighborhood Dispatch reporting is supported by Zilber Family Foundation, Bader Philanthropies, Journal Foundation, Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: “JS Community Journalism”) and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.
The JS Community-Funded Journalism Project is made possible through our partnership with Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36-4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association, and EnMotive, LLC, a subsidiary of USA TODAY Co., Inc. USA TODAY Co., Inc. is the parent company of this publication.
MILWAUKEE – Investigators say a Milwaukee woman preyed on a little girl, then threatened her life. Erin Conley was charged with repeated sexual assault of a minor and went on the run.
Search for Erin Conley
What we know:
Investigators say the 27-year-old repeatedly forced herself onto the small child, then threatened her life if she told anyone.
“At some point, the child just experienced too much anxiety and stress and the fear of being harmed, which led to her finally coming out and saying something,” the U.S. Marshal said.
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In May 2025, Conley was charged with the repeated sexual assault of a minor. She was never arrested. Investigators have not been able to find her.
What they’re saying:
“It’s very important that Erin gets found and gets taken off the street and away from any children that she decides to prey on next,” the marshal said.
Authorities say Conley has been spotted around Milwaukee County, and is believed to still be in the area.
“We hope Erin would take responsibility for what she did,” the marshal said. “We are not going to let this kind of behavior continue. We can’t.”
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Conley is described as being 5’2″ tall and weighing 220 pounds.
Call with tips
What you can do:
Anyone with information about where Conley is located should call the U.S. Marshals Tipline at 414-297-3707. You will remain anonymous.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force.
Milwaukee Police Department (MPD)
MILWAUKEE – Four people were injured in separate shootings in Milwaukee on Saturday, May 16.
34th and Mt Vernon
What we know:
According to the Milwaukee Police Department, at about 4:18 a.m., a 31-year-old was shot and taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries.
53rd and Clarke
What we know:
At about 9:10 p.m., a 54-year-old was shot and went to a local hospital for treatment of injuries.
18th and Highland
What we know:
Just before 10 p.m., a 17-year-old was shot and taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries.
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Unknown location
What we know:
At about 11:39 p.m., a 19-year-old shooting victim arrived at a local hospital for treatment of injuries.
The location of the shooting is not known at this time.
MPD tips
What you can do:
Police are looking for the people responsible for these shootings.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-Tips or use the P3 Tips app.
The Source: The Milwaukee Police Department sent FOX6 the information.
MILWAUKEE – The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s 134th commencement ceremony is this weekend, and for one family, this year’s class proves to be extra special.
Son graduating with honors
What they’re saying:
“It just feels like it hasn’t set in quite yet, but once it does, I’m sure it’ll feel pretty good,” said Will Peters, who is graduating with honors in computer science and as a Wisconsin Army National Guard commissioned officer.
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But there’s another milestone that makes this year’s graduation one that Peters will always remember.
Mother getting master’s degree
What they’re saying:
“He’s getting his undergraduate degree, and I’m getting my master’s degree in nursing,” said Mary Peters, Will’s mother.
That’s right: Both mother and son are crossing the graduation stage. Mary, a UWM academic program specialist as well, said she will cherish the moment forever.
“It’s just exciting, because I graduated from UW-Milwaukee with my nursing degree, my undergraduate, in December 2001,” she said. “I went back for my master’s degree, and I didn’t know that Will and I are going to be graduating the same day.”
Peters family Panther pride
Dig deeper:
Chris Peters is cheering them on, not only as father and husband, but also as a UWM faculty member and alumnus.
“We really hope that Will would carry on what became a family tradition of graduating from UWM. We believe in UWM, we believe that we got a very high-quality education,” he said.
Chris, Mary and Will Peters
Just like his wife, Chris graduated from UWM with a bachelor’s in nursing and eventually earned his doctorate while working for the university.
“I’m very proud of my wife and my son,” he said. “It’s got a lot of the resources of a large university, but it’s still small enough to know you by name and take care of people who needed it, and it’s been a great experience for the whole family.”
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For the Peters family, Panther pride will always run deep.
“We’re Panthers. We’re proud to work here. We’re proud to be alumni here. We’re proud of what UWM has done for us, and we’re now working for the opportunity to give back to the campus and the students,” said Chris.
The Source: FOX6 News interviewed the Peters family.
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