A 29-year-old Minneapolis man being convicted of a drug charge would mean thousands of dollars for two Faribault County agencies.
James Earl Super III, 29, was arrested and charged with fifth-degree possession schedule 1,2, 3, 4, a felony. He has pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 3.
Until then, county officials cannot get a portion of the $44,000 seized on Dec. 8, 2016.
Two deputies and K-9 officer Zeus discovered a backpack filled with 50- and 100-dollar bills under the hood of a truck during the traffic stop on Interstate 90.
Chief Deputy Scott Adams says once the case is over, the Sheriff’s Department will get 70 percent of the money; County Attorney’s Office, 20 percent; and the state, 10 percent.
“The money will go to the department’s seizure fund for our SWAT Team, Drug Task Force and K-9 program. It also will help purchase equipment for squad cars,” says Adams.
None of the money, says Adams, will have to be used to offset any costs associated with training Zeus, a 2-year-old German Shepherd. He says the dog’s handler and partner, Deputy Brittney Gehrking, used her own money.
“I didn’t cost Faribault County a dime,” says Adams. “It’s outstanding for an employee to do that. She took care of all of it.”
Two other men arrested with Super have been convicted of lesser charges.
William Anthony Lane Jr., 29, of Brooklyn Park pled guilty to a gross misdemeanor charge of falsely giving a peace officer the name of another person and 30-year-old Ronald Lee Hott of Minneapolis was found guilty of a petty misdemeanor marijuana charge.