Former police officer facing new felony charges

Connor R. Newman, a former part-time Phillips police officer facing felony misconduct charges in Price County, appeared in Oneida County court Jan. 12 on new charges of forging a lottery ticket and felony bail jumping.
Newman, 32, of Harshaw, appeared without legal representation as prosecutors filed a criminal complaint charging him with two felony counts. The first charge, forging a lottery ticket, is a Class I felony carrying a maximum sentence of three years and six months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. The second charge, felony bail jumping, is a Class H felony with a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
During the brief court proceeding, Judge Mary Sowinski set a $2,000 signature bond and scheduled an adjourned initial appearance for 2:15 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9. The court advised Newman of his right to legal representation and urged him to secure an attorney before his next appearance.
According to the criminal complaint, a local convenience store owner contacted law enforcement in November 2025 to report they had caught Newman stealing lottery tickets while he was working as an employee at the store. The owner advised they had video footage showing Newman taking tickets and entering inappropriate amounts in the computer system. When confronted by police, Newman admitted to taking tickets, scratching them and discarding them without paying, the complaint states. According to the complaint, he told officers that he was keeping a tally in his head and intended to pay the store back. According to the complaint, the amount stolen was just over $1,300.
The new charges come as Newman awaits a potential trial in Price County on three felony counts of misconduct in office stemming from his time as a part-time officer with the City of Phillips Police Department. According to a criminal complaint filed in October, Newman allegedly engaged in multiple sexual encounters with a woman described as a known methamphetamine user while on duty, falsified daily activity reports to conceal his actions, and shared sensitive drug investigation information with the woman.
Newman appeared in Price County Circuit Court on Oct. 7, where Judge Mark T. Fuhr set a $1,000 signature bond. According to court records, a preliminary hearing in that case began on Jan. 20 but was not completed, The hearing had to be adjourned until March due to technical issues, according to court records.
During an interview with investigators detailed in the Price County complaint, Newman admitted to the sexual encounters during July while on duty and indicated he expected to lose his position with the Phillips Police Department. He told investigators nothing similar occurred during his previous employment with law enforcement agencies in Oneida and Vilas counties.
According to his professional profile, Newman completed training at the Nicolet College Law Enforcement Academy and worked as a dispatcher and deputy for the Oneida County Sheriff’s Department before joining the Phillips Police Department.