KINGWOOD — The Preston County Prosecuting Attorney’s office has filed a petition seeking forfeiture of money, a van and drugs taken during an investigation.
The county is seeking possession of $3,141.27 cash, a 1999 GMC passenger van and 1.5 pills of unknown type. All were taken from Kevin Ray Shaffer, of Kingwood, according to the petition for forfeiture filed in Preston Circuit Court this month by Assistant Prosecutor Megan Allender.
Shaffer is under investigation for delivery of a controlled substance after allegedly selling cocaine on five occasions last year to police informants, according to the petition.
The van and cash are subject to forfeiture because they were used in illegal drug trafficking, the petition says. It notes that Shaffer’s wife, “may have a marital interest in the seized property.”
State law requires forfeited money to be divided among the prosecuting attorney, to pay the court fees related to the claim and into an investigative account. Preston Chief Deputy P.A. Pritt said earlier that account is used for further drug investigations.
Last year the prosecutor’s office filed a petition for forfeiture against cash and drugs seized from Joseph Patrick Wilhelm, of Kingwood.
That included $7,195.49, pulverized marijuana, two small white containers of marijuana oil, two small bags of marijuana, a plastic container of marijuana, three Adderall capsules, one pill embossed “7.5 325,” 351 pills embossed “M” and “4,” 296 pills embossed “ASC 116,” two digital scales, a broken glass jar with marijuana, and a red and yellow rubber container with marijuana.
Wilhelm’s attorney, Conrad Gall, filed paperwork in the case, asking for the return of the $7,195.49. In that reply, Wilhelm denied “that all of the currency was in a safe and expressly denies admitting to selling contraband for financial gain.”
He also says the forfeiture would violate his Eighth Amendment rights by, “imposition of excessive fines.”
The forfeiture is pending. Wilhelm was indicted by the Preston County Grand Jury in January on two counts of possession of controlled substance with intent to deliver (Diludid and Methadone). That case is also pending.
