Herline Jewelry, an Ely institution for more than half a century will not be forced to close due to the arrest of one of its owners on drug trafficking charges.
“We are not going to try and confiscate anything from the store because of the arrest,” said White Pine County Sheriff’s Captain Scott Henroid. “We were just after the drugs.”
According to a White Pine county Press release Gerald Herline was arrested in a raid by White Pine Deputies and agents from the Department of Public Safety Parole and Probation.
During the search of the building officers reported that over 50 grams of methamphetamine were located and approximately 5 grams of marijuana. Officers reported that Gerald F. Herline age 55 of Ely was arrested for trafficking methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, maintaining a place to sell controlled substances, and possession of marijuana. He is being held at the White Pine County Jail on $150.000 bail.
According to state and federal law, since the arrest and the drugs were found in the store local law enforcement could have attempted to seize the establishment and its stock as forfeit.
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Even if that effort failed the time and money needed to release the store and its inventory could have forced the business to close.
