AN ORDER OF FORFEITURE, signed by District Court Judge Nancy Whittenburg on Aug. 25, transferred cash discovered during a search warrant to the Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office, following the conviction of a county drug dealer. The $8,961 in cash is displayed along with the Order of Forfeiture. Pictured (from left) are Deputy Sheriff Lynn Schultes, Deputy Eric Ring, County Attorney Peter C. Hart, Sheriff Dennis Goeders, and Chief Deputy Todd Suhr. Other assisting officers not pictured include Deputy John King and Reserve Deputy Dennis Paulson.– submitted photo

When a Palo Alto County drug dealer was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison, he was forced to leave behind his ill-gotten gains, and those gains have now become the property of the Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office.


On Jan. 6, Judge Charles K. Borth agreed there was sufficient proof from Palo Alto County Deputy Sheriff Eric Ring to issue a search warrant for a Graettinger residence.


“The warrant satisfied the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protecting against unreasonable search and seizures,” explained Palo Alto County Attorney Peter C. Hart. “With the authority of the warrant, Palo Alto County Deputy Sheriffs Eric Ring, Lynn Schultes, John King, and Reserve Deputy Dennis Paulson proceeded to enter the front door at 307 North Cedar Street in Graettinger.