Though he is just 24 years old, Aundray Evans is a career criminal. At 17, he was convicted of setting up an illegal gun sale and then robbing the man who met with him. Two years later, while still on probation, he was again convicted of theft.
In 2019, while still on probation for the second theft conviction, he was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and then, after posting bail, allegedly went on a robbery spree in which he robbed two men of their guns and stole a car, wallet, and cell phone from one of them. Both of those cases are still open.
In spite of this, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers appointed Evans to his Juvenile Justice Commission last month. Evans was introduced during the Commission's quarterly meeting on August 9th, and the appointment immediately outraged the law enforcement community. Because of that, and media questions about the appointment, Evers rescinded it Monday.
It is unclear whether Evers knew of Evans' criminal record before emailing Evans to appoint him to the Commission in late July.
“How could they not?” said one law enforcement source who contacted "The Dan O'Donnell Show" shortly after Evans' appointment. “That has to be the worst background check in the world. They wanted this guy on their Commission.”
Evers restarted the Juvenile Justice Commission via an executive order on September 3rd, 2019 (exactly one week before Evans' first 2019 arrest) to serve “as the primary body responsible for implementing the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act.”
The federal act requires that participating states create an advisory committee appointed by the governor, and Evers set up the Commission to ensure that Wisconsin has “the most trauma-informed, evidence-based practices and facilities available.”
According to its website, “The Governor's Juvenile Justice Commission (GJJC) strives to positively impact youth and families by promoting individual opportunities through state and local partnerships, emphasizing evidence-based, trauma informed, and culturally competent practices. This will be accomplished by enhancing collaboration, sharing information, leveraging resources, and providing leadership and expertise to policy makers.”
Among its membership are "Youth Members," who are under the age of 28 and can be a "youth or parent or guardian of a youth currently or previously under the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system."
Evans was was a juvenile--just 17--when he was first charged as an adult with Theft of Movable Property in 2015. According to a criminal complaint, he stole a man’s gun during a meetup to buy it. Evans pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison and three years of extended supervision but Judge Joe Donald stayed both and sentenced him to three years of probation with 10 months in the House of Correction.
While Evans was still on probation, he was charged in 2019 with Theft of Movable Property. He again pleadedd guilty and was again sentenced to three years in prison and three years of extended supervision. Once again, a judge--Andrew Gonring--stayed these sentences and instead order a sentence of three years of probation and six months in jail.
On September 10, 2019, while Evans was once again still on probation, he was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. 17 days later, he was charged as party to a crime with Armed Robbery, Theft of Movable Property, Possession of Cocaine, and Resisting or Obstructing an Officer.
According to a criminal complaint, Evans and another man met up with someone they wanted to buy a gun from. Instead, they took his gun, his car, his wallet, and his cell phone. Then they set up another gun sale with another man. They stole his gun too. Officers pulled them over in the stolen car later that day, and Evans took off on foot. He tossed the gun, which was recovered, but arresting officers found 1.7 grams of cocaine on him.
On March 19, 2020, the case was adjourned because of Governor Evers' "Safer at Home" order at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. On September 10, 2021, two years to the day after he was charged, Evans posted $3,000 cash bail.
In July, Evers’ office sent an email to Evans appointing him to the Commission as a “Youth Member”—20 percent of the Commission is made up of people under the age of 28—but it is unclear if they knew about his extensive criminal record.
Evans was introduced during the Commission’s meeting last Tuesday. Law enforcement officials immediately objected to having a criminal with open cases serving, and once enough heat was put on the Evers Administration, it rescinded the appointment yesterday.
Evers faces Republican Tim Michels in his bid for reelection this November.