Cops and Courts, News

Preston files petition to take possession of money, drugs taken during raid

KINGWOOD — The Preston County Sheriff’s Department is petitioning for possession of $7,195 and  drugs taken during a raid in August.
The petition for forfeiture was filed recently in Preston County Circuit Court by Assistant Prosecutor Megan Allender.
According to court documents, the county is seeking possession of the money, pulverized marijuana, two small white containers of marijuana oil, two small bags of marijuana, a whole 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.
All the items were discovered during the execution of a search warrant at Joseph Patrick Wilhelm’s home in August.
Wilhelm was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Wilhelm confessed to, “selling the contraband for personal gain,” according to the suit.
The items named are “either illegal contraband in itself or moneys furnished or intended to be furnished for” the drugs, the suit says. No one other than Wilhelm is known to have any ownership interest in the property.
Preston Chief Deputy P.A. Pritt said that the law requires the money to be divided among the prosecutor, to pay the court fees related and into an investigative account. “We use it for drug investigations,” he said.