Todd Boettcher

Three Elmore men have been arrested on felony drug charges following a lengthy investigation conducted by several law enforcement agencies.

According to a press release from the Faribault County Sheriff’s Department, 39-year-old Todd Jeffery Boettcher was taken into custody Tuesday after authorities executed a search warrant at his residence at 310 S. Mill St. in Elmore.

“It was a result of all the arrests made in the Twin Cities that provided us enough evidence to collaborate our search warrant,” says Sheriff Mike Gormley.Authorities say 34-year-old Travis Jon Boettcher also was arrested in St. Paul while attempting to purchase several ounces of meth to bring back to Faribault County.

He faces charges in this county and Ramsey County.

The St. Paul Police Depart-ment also apprehended 33-year-old Howard Allen Herold Jr. He is facing felony drug charges in Ramsey County.

Todd Jeffery Boettcher has been charged with first-degree and third-degree controlled substance crimes and felony possession of meth paraphernalia in a residence with a child.

The first-degree charge carries a maximum penalty of 40 years and a $1 million fine; third-degree, 30 years and a $250,000 fine; and the meth-related charge, five years and a $10,000 fine.

Bond has been set at $500,000 without conditions or $250,000 with, or $25,000 cash bail.

While searching the Elmore home, says the complaint, a bulb pipe used for smoking meth and three tubes for snorting meth were found.

According to a court complaint, Travis also lives at the residence.

In Travis’ bedroom four bags containing a green leafy substance tested positive for marijuana and had a total weight of 257.6 grams.

A safe also in the bedroom contained $1,000 and four plastic bags containing a white powder substance that was identified to be meth. All meth products in the safe weighed 9.1 grams.

Authorities also recovered a digital scale, glass pipes, snort tubes, a box of plastic bags and a glass water bong for smoking meth.

The sheriff’s department was assisted by Elmore, Fairmont and St. Paul police departments and the South Central Drug Investigative Unit.

“It was a full cooperation with all the law enforcement agencies. The more people involved in the investigation, the better off you’ll be,” says Barry Meyers.