Accused drug dealer enters plea in court

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

A Van Wert man arrested during a late February raid at his Lincoln Highway apartment has pleaded not guilty to four felony charges.

Kyle Grieshaber, 38, was arraigned in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court Tuesday morning. He entered a not guilty plea to aggravated possession of drugs, a second degree felony; aggravated trafficking in drugs, a second degree felony; a separate count of aggravated trafficking in drugs, a fourth degree felony, and a fifth degree felony charge of aggravated possession of drugs. Judge Martin Burchfield set bond at $100,000 cash or commercial surety and scheduled a pre-trial conference for April 3.

Grieshaber was arrested February 21, after the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office and the Van Wert Police Department’s Special Response Team executed a drug search warrant at his apartment in the 10000 block of Lincoln Highway.

Sheriff Tom Riggenbach noted that deputies had been investigating suspected drug activity at the apartment. During the raid, law enforcement officers seized a number of items from the apartment, including:

• A moderate amount of suspected methamphetamine
• A small amount of suspected prescription medication
• A small amount of an unknown white powder
• Hypodermic needles
• Drug paraphernalia
• Multiple cell phones
• Cash

Grieshaber was originally charged with possession of methamphetamine, a third degree felony. A female in the apartment was released from the scene.

Records show Grieshaber’s case was transferred from Van Wert Muncipal Court to Van Wert County Common Pleas Court. A grand jury returned the four count indictment last week.