Lancaster County K9 helps detect 60 pounds of meth in motorhome on I-80

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A K9 with the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office helped sniff out 60 pounds of meth and several other drugs in a motorhome on Interstate 80.

Wesley Stayberg

Around 9:50 a.m. on Wednesday, the Lancaster County Criminal Interdiction unit pulled over a motorhome for driving on the shoulder just west of Lincoln.

A K9 was deployed after a deputy became suspicious of the vehicle, the sheriff’s office said.  The dog then indicated that there were drugs inside the motorhome.

Deputies found 60 1-pound vacuum-sealed bags of meth inside of the tank, according to the sheriff’s office.

They also found 2.16 pounds of heroin and 0.58 pounds of fentanyl inside the motorhome.  Three guns were also seized, including a pistol that was reported stolen in Minnesota in Jan. 2022.

The sheriff’s office says they seized around $1,632,931 worth of meth, $148,923 worth of heroin and $36,831 worth of fentanyl.

Guns seized during traffic stop – Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office

The driver, 60-year-old John Kircher of St. Paul, Minnesota, and passenger, 30-year-old Wesley Stayberg of Hudson, Wisconsin, were both convicted felons.

During the arrest, Stayberg told deputies he began to feel ill after taking 1 gram of heroin.  Deputies then administered NARCAN to him after he began to lose consciousness.

John Kircher

Stayberg was then brought to a hospital before being taken to jail, the sheriff’s office said.

Both men were arrested on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance with intent to deliver meth, heroin and fentanyl.

They were also arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm while committing a felony drug violation, possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

Additionally, Stayberg was charged on suspicion of tampering with evidence, the sheriff’s office said.