Hiawatha Drug Investigation Leads to Three Arrests
03/21/2016
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Cassandra Hughes
Charity Ebling
Tears Reign Berberich

(KNZA)---A drug investigation by the Hiawatha Police Department led to the arrest of three Hiawatha residents over the weekend.

Police Chief John Defore says a search warrant was served Friday evening at 903 Shawnee where officers uncovered illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia and an illegally altered firearm.  Assisting the Hiawatha Police Department were the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department’s K-9 unit and the Doniphan County Sheriff’s Department. 

31-year-old Cassandra Lynn Hughes was arrested at the scene on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, felon in possession of a firearm and defacing ID marks on a firearm.

Defore says Police Investigator Michael Gruber was completing a follow-up investigation on Saturday evening that precipitated from the search warrant the night before, and that led to the arrest of a second suspect.  31-year-old Charity Dawn Ebling was arrested on charges of possession of meth, possession of drug paraphernalia, obstruction and driving while suspended.

As the investigation continued to unfold, Defore says Investigator Gruber also identified a third individual wanted on an outstanding Brown County warrant.  19-year-old Tears Reign Berberich, who was a passenger in Ebling’s vehicle, was taken into custody as well.

All three remains in the Brown County Jail.