Over the last 6 months the Palo Alto Sheriff’s Office and other area law enforcement have been monitoring the activities of certain individuals believed to be contributing to the illegal distribution of marijuana in Palo Alto County as well as other surrounding communities. On Friday February 19, 2016 the Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office made a traffic stop directly tied to this investigation. At 1:00 am a 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo was stopped just east of Ruthven, Iowa on 370th Ave. The vehicle was intercepted on it was back from Colorado.
A passenger in the vehicle, Madalyn Gene Schattschneider DOB: 01/29/1997, had been the object of multiple controlled marijuana buy operations conducted by the Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office. Prior to this traffic stop on the 19th, Deputies obtained an arrest warrant for Schattschneider for Delivery of Marijuana which is a Class D Felony.
During the traffic stop, marijuana and other drug related materials were discovered in the Monte Carlo. The two male individuals in the vehicle were placed under arrest and transported to the Palo Alto County Jail along with Schattschneider. The Monte Carlo was seized and towed to a secure location by the sheriff’s office. Palo Alto County Deputies applied for a warrant to search the Monte Carlo. After a judge granted the search warrant, Deputies along with the assistance of Palo Alto County’s Drug Detection Canine, searched the Monte Carlo. Approximately 6 Pounds of Marijuana was located in the vehicle along with a large number of other marijuana products purchased in Colorado.
Deputies seized the marijuana, drug equipment, other marijuana products as well as the 2005 Monte Carlo. Grant Alan Potter (18) from Estherville, Iowa, Madalyn Gene Schattschneider (19) and Joseph Douglas Wildin (20) both of Algona, Iowa were all charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance with the Intent to Deliver, a Class D Felony, Drug Tax Stamp Violation, a Class D Felony, Conspiracy, a Class D Felony, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, a Simple Misdemeanor. All three were booked into the Palo Alto County Jail to appear before a judge. Schattschneider’s arrest warrant for Delivery of Marijuana required a $10,000 cash only bond.
The Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office along with other area law enforcement agencies are continuing the investigation into the illegal drug distribution in our communities and more arrests are expected.