Seven Arrested In Drug Bust

After two long days and nights of working wrecks on the interstate during the Christmas blizzard, Kimball County Sheriff Dave Hottell said he anticipated having a nice, quiet day at home on Wednesday.

The relaxing day off did not happen.

A county court arrest warrant for nonpayment of a fine would trigger a search warrant and eventually the arrest of a total of seven individuals for felony meth possession.

Wednesday began by serving an arrest warrant for fines unpaid from the County Court of Kimball County on Gaje Vanderberg, 26, at 713 South Oak. While executing the arrest, Hottell and Chief Deputy Greg Taylor were "granted access to the house" and observed in plain sight drug paraphernalia and contraband in the rental house occupied by Vanderburg and a number of other adult individuals.

Obtaining a search warrant for the premises and vehicles, Hottell, Taylor, deputy Youngquist, and city police officer McKinzie conducted a two-and-a-half-hour search of the residence and vehicles on the property. That resulted in Hottell writing up a two-page inventory of pipes, syringes, containers, baggies, bongs, fake urine, a pill bottle with unknown pills and a variety of other drug paraphernalia, many items containing residue.

The small rental house was also the home to numerous kittens, cats and dogs.

In the midst of the search, a significant amount of meth oil was discovered, and all individuals at the house were arrested, along with two individuals not at the location but living there.

They were charged with Class 4 felony possession of a controlled substance (meth) and possession of drug paraphernalia, which is an infraction.

Newly arrested Wednesday evening were Joseph Morin, 29; Lynetta White, 59; Kyle Gibson, 33; Tyler Collins, 29; Dakota Meyer, 22; and Stevn Graupensperger, 30. Vanderberg also received new charges. Morin lives in Dix. The others live in Kimball.

Graupensperger had been released on bond in a prior case, and a condition of bond was he shall not possess or consume alcohol or illegal drugs.

Field testing during the search indicated many items positive for meth. Four individuals present at the beginning of the search were read their Miranda rights and cuffed while the search continued.

The males were booked into the Kimball County Jail, while the females were transported to Scotts Bluff County Detention Center.

By midnight, the individuals were all processed and booked into jail. They were arraigned in county court at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 2.

By Tuesday morning, only two of the arrestees, Kyle Gibson and Lynetta White, had paid 10% of the $5,000 to bond out.