In early 2024, notorious Wisconsin campground owner Ann Retzlaff was back in court to settle her legal woes once and for all.
But this isn’t the end of your average lawsuit. It concludes four years of bizarre criminal activity, including impersonating a police officer and claims of Satanic pedophilia.
Today, we’re rehashing the saga of Wisconsin’s RV park felon, Ann Retzlaff, and updating you on the latest drama.
Let’s bang the gavel!
RV Park Felon is Back in the News
Two 2024 court dates finally ended one of the most contentious legal battles in the camping community.
Ann Retzlaff, former owner of Annie’s Campground in Gresham, Wisconsin, has spent several years on local law enforcement’s naughty list. If you search the state’s public records for her name, you’ll find ten different case numbers since 2020. She’s a defendant on petitions for restraining orders, as well as charges for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.
But her most recent court dates won’t mean anything unless you have the complete picture. You’ll want to buckle up because this is a wild ride.
What’s the RV Park Felon’s Story?
Ann Retzlaff first made headlines when a controversial Facebook post went viral. Things only got more bizarre from there. Here’s a recap of her complicated legal journey.
Early Controversies
On May 15, 2020, a post on the Annie’s Campground Facebook account stated, “Masks are NOT allowed in the buildings for safety sake. They are viewed as a robbery in progress and will be handled that way.”
This statement garnered a ton of attention. It happened at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic after the state of Wisconsin issued a Safer at Home order. Folks who felt these mandates infringed on their rights rose up in support of the campground owner, who continued hosting live music events and operating her bar and restaurant as usual.
Interestingly, the self-proclaimed sovereign citizen implemented a string of other rules for visiting campers. In another Facebook post, she asked that anyone who’d received the COVID-19 vaccine inform the staff.
Her website stipulated, “We reserve the right to refuse service. No commies, thieves, illegal substances, Antifa, BLM, or other terrorists.” Ironically, the FBI considers sovereign citizens to be a domestic terror threat.
Later that year, concerned citizens reached out about her policies. After all, many felt she was endangering the public by refusing to enforce COVID protocol.
In response, Retzlaff returned at least one phone call, during which she identified herself as a Shawano County Sheriff’s Deputy. In the conversation, she threatened legal action if they didn’t stop calling the campground. Although she later owned up to the crime, she didn’t attend her court date.
Dig deeper into Ratzliff’s history: Legal Saga of Self-Identified “Sovereign Being” Campground Owner Continues
Felonious Flops
In May 2021, Ann Retzlaff cemented her status as the RV park felon after leading four police vehicles on a high-speed chase.
Officers tried to pull her over for running a red light, but she sped off. Retzlaff continued her attempt to elude, even after they deployed spike strips. She finally came to a stop with four flat tires. However, she refused to open her door, giving the police no choice but to break a window and pull her out by force.
The campground owner claimed that, as a sovereign citizen, she doesn’t have to comply with the law. When that didn’t work, she insisted she was in the act of saving an employee from sex trafficking.
As you can imagine, police arrested her at the scene.
The state hit her with four felony charges, including one count of eluding an officer, one count of resisting arrest, and two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment.
Retzlaff made bail but failed to appear for her subsequent court date. In a laughable appeal, she asked to delay the case, citing her concerns about COVID. The presiding judge denied her request. In turn, she sent Sheriff Bieber an unhinged email insisting he’s covering up Satanic pedophilia.
Retzlaff isn’t the only misbehaving campground owner: RV Resort Manager Arrested for Stealing Almost $1 Million from Campground
Later Legal Blunders
In another bizarre turn of events, Ann Retzlaff filed lawsuits against two officers involved in her high-speed chase. The 2022 motion accused them of 12 federal offenses, including conspiracy to cover up human trafficking. Additionally, she brought common-law cases against the judge and district attorney.
She was arrested again the following year after several missed court appearances. In January 2024, she entered a plea deal “under extreme duress.” The judge sentenced her to one year in jail and charges of $2,950. This concluded her open cases in Shawano and Menominee counties, but she still wasn’t in the clear.
We’ll get to the final chapter of this wild ride in a moment. But first, we need to go over the fate of Annie’s Campground.
Is Ann Retzlaff’s Campground Still Open?
In 2022, Bank First sued the RV park felon for reimbursement of multiple loans they’d issued for the business. The suit stated she owed nearly $1.5 million. The judge appointed attorney Seth Dizard as the property’s receiver to take over financial affairs until they could settle the bank’s case.
It turned out Ann Retzlaff also owed about $25,000 in unpaid property taxes for the campground.
Later that year, Dizard filed a restraining order against Retzlaff, stating she’d repeatedly entered the property without permission and that her presence threatened to disrupt continuing business.
By August 2022, a company called Positive Ventures purchased the campground for just over $2 million. It appears they’re now in operation as On the Rocks Family Kampground.
Retzlaff appeared in court one last time in February 2024 to finally conclude her legal saga. In exchange for a no-contest plea and a $500 fine, a lenient judge dropped four felony charges of criminal slander and two counts of jumping bail. She had served 262 days behind bars at the time, leaving another 103 to complete her sentence.
Check out more frivolous and ridiculous lawsuits with The True Stella Awards!
She Fought the Law and the Law Won
Over the last several years, Ann Retzlaff has repeatedly wasted taxpayer dollars filing bogus lawsuits against anyone who’s wronged her. From police officers to bank representatives, no one was safe from her wrath. Since she also failed to pay taxes, these offenses against the state are two-fold.
Of course, we can’t say for sure if the RV park felon will strike again. However, it seems her existing legal battles are behind her, at least for now.
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