Fifteen Agencies Collaborate, Twelve People Arrested in Fayette County Drug Busts

Fifteen law enforcement agencies from across northeast Iowa came together on Friday night to conduct half a dozen drug busts simultaneously in Oelwein and Fayette County on Friday night. 

Local agencies included the Iowa State Patrol, Police Departments from Oelwein, Independence and Strawberry Point and the Sheriff’s Departments from Delaware, Buchanan and Clayton counties, along with their K-9 units. 

The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office says they executed six different drug house warrants around 9:30 pm Friday night – four in Oelwein, one in Maynard and one in rural Sumner. The warrants stemmed from an investigation conducted last week. 

Twelve people were taken into custody, with two of them apprehended by a drug K-9 when they tried fleeing from law enforcement. Authorities seized multiple drugs, firearms and around $4,000 in cash. 

Authorities seized about seventy grams of meth, over a pound of marijuana, long guns, a pistol, wax and liquid, multiple types of prescription pills and packaged pills, and paraphernalia.  

Over 100 charges have been filed, including more than forty felonies. The charges range from possession of methamphetamine/intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of marijuana/intent to distribute marijuana, possession of other schedule substance/intent to deliver other schedule substance, unlawful possession of prescriptions/intent to deliver and interference.

Arrested, charged, and transported to the Fayette County Jail include:

1. Michael Wayne Forbes, 52 of Oelwein IA, Bond Amount $25,000 cash/surety
2. Kristy Ranae Heidt, 53 of Oelwein IA, Bond Amount $20,000 cash 10% approved
3. Brandy Lynn Schoultz, 37 of Oelwein IA, Bond Amount $500 cash/surety 10% approved
4. Tristan Marie Westpfahl, 35 of Oelwein IA, Bond Amount $7,000 cash 10% approved
5. Aaron Paul James, 43 of Oelwein IA, Bond Amount $5,000 cash 10% approved
6. Amanda Lou James, 56 of Oelwein IA, Bond Amount $5,000 10% approved
7. Cameron Jon Wilson, 27 of Oelwein IA, Bond Amount $22,300 cash
8. Christopher Lee Becker, 40 of Oelwein IA, Bond Amount $25,000 cash/surety
9. Nicole Leanne Burgos, 29 of Oelwein IA, Bond Amount $20,000 cash/surety 10% approved
10. Justin Douglas Pattison, 39 of Sumner IA, Bond Amount $ 20,000 cash/surety
11. Joseph Allen McMurrin, 34 of Alpha IA, Bond Amount $20,000 cash/surety
12. Victoria Ann Nieman, 42 of Maynard IA, Bond Amount $2,500 cash 10% approved

More charges and arrest warrants are pending at this time, and this case remains under investigation.

Fayette County Sheriff Marty Fisher would like to thank all the agencies and personnel that came together to accomplish this operation.