Custer County Court was in session on Monday, June 16th with Judge Tami Schendt presiding.
Jared J. Meister, age 38 of Rising City, was in court for his first appearance. Also present in court was his attorney, John Icenogle. In May, an arrest warrant was issued for Meister on the charge of theft by unlawful taking in an amount over $5,000, a Class IIA felony. The affidavit for the arrest warrant stated that Mitch and Roxanne Huggins, owners of the Comstock Premier Lodge located in Custer County, had been unable to locate their blonde bison bull since the spring of 2023. The bull was valued at $30,000 if hunted and approximately $8,000 if sold. According to the Nebraska State Patrol investigator in the case, a guest at the lodge had seen a blonde bison bull mount at a taxidermy in Schuyler, Nebraska and been told that the mount belonged to an individual named Meister. Further investigation led the NSP investigator to believe Meister had committed the felony crime. Judge Schendt scheduled a preliminary hearing in the case for July 14th at 10:30 a.m.
Grady Erickson, attorney for Anthony P. Elder, age 44 of Cozad, filed a waiver in his defendant’s preliminary hearing and the case was bound over to Custer County District Court. In February of this year, Elder was charged with four felony counts—possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, tampering with evidence, and criminal possession.
Also appearing for his preliminary hearing was Jeffrey L. Kottwitz, age 53 of Arnold. The State and the defense announced a plea agreement had been reached in the matter. In exchange for his guilty plea to an amended complaint, the felony charge of driving under revocation was reduced to a Class II misdemeanor. Judge Schendt found Kottwitz guilty and ordered his operator’s license be revoked for one year. He was also ordered to pay fines and fees.
