Son pleads in drug case; his parents await

ORANGE CITY—One of three members of a rural Sioux Center family facing drug-related charges has pleaded guilty and been sentenced.

Twenty-five-year-old Chayce Thaniel Hooyer and his parents, 49-year-old Brian Dale Hooyer and 46-year-old Heidi Lynn Hooyer, were arrested Sunday, May 3, following the execution of a search warrant at their residence at 2920 400th St., about a mile west of Sioux Center, according to the Sioux Center Police Department.

Brian Hooyer was found to have tramadol, a controlled substance that had been prescribed to another person.

Heidi Hooyer was found to have aided a wanted felon who had been a fugitive from justice for about a year.

She assisted the fugitive by alerting him to police presence outside his residence and by providing medical cannabidiol, marijuana flower, and THC wax, according to documents filed in Sioux County District Court in Orange City.

Heidi Hooyer also admitted to providing Chayce with medical cannabidiol, marijuana flower, and THC wax.

Brian Hooyer was charged with unlawful possession of a prescription drug, a serious misdemeanor.

They all initially pleaded not guilty to the charges; however, Chayce later reached a plea deal and pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia on Sept. 15 in district court.

Magistrate Kley De Jong ordered him to pay a $430 fine, a $64.50 surcharge, and $60 in court-related costs.

The other charges against Chayce were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

The attorneys for Brian and Heidi Hooyer have filed motions to suppress evidence seized from their home as well as Heidi’s vehicle and cellphone, arguing that a search warrant was constitutionally flawed and that officers exceeded their authority while carrying it out.

A hearing on the motion for Brian is scheduled for Dec. 3, while a hearing on the motion for Heidi is scheduled for Jan. 11.

Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.