Three arrested in Norfolk drug investigation

Nebraska State Patrol investigators, with the assistance of the Norfolk Police Department, have arrested two people following a narcotics investigation on Aug. 23.

Earlier last week, NSP investigators were conducting an investigation in the 1000 block of Jonathan Circle when they observed two subjects exit a house, appear to place something under the hood of a vehicle, then drive away in the vehicle, a PT Cruiser. A trooper then located the same PT Cruiser a short time later in the parking lot of Northeast Community College, with no occupants.

Investigators had continued their investigation in the 1000 block of Jonathan Circle when they saw the two subjects who had driven away in the PT Cruiser return to the same house on foot. NSP requested a Norfolk Police K9 to conduct a sniff on the PT Cruiser that had been abandoned at Northeast Community College. The K9 detected the odor of a controlled substance. A search of the vehicle revealed methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for the residence, at 1001 Jonathan Circle. Prior to serving the search warrant, the subject who had been seen driving the PT Cruiser exited the house voluntarily and was taken into custody. The driver, Maurice Blacktaildeer, 34, of Omaha, was arrested for driving with a suspended license, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Investigators served the search warrant on the house and located additional methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. The subject who had also been seen in the PT Cruiser, Corey Sholes, 33, of Norfolk, was arrested for two counts of possession of methamphetamine and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Another occupant of the house, April Zephier, 45, of Norfolk, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

All three were lodged in Madison County Jail.