Inver Grove Heights Man Charged After Nearly 224 Grams of Meth Allegedly Found During Hastings Drug Investigation
Dakota County Jail Booking Photo
Published: September 18th, 2026.
INVER GROVE HEIGHTS MN: — An Inver Grove Heights man is facing two first-degree drug charges after authorities say they recovered nearly 224 grams of suspected methamphetamine during a drug investigation in Hastings.
Jacob Michael Buchholz, 44, of Inver Grove Heights, has been charged in Dakota County District Court with two counts of first-degree controlled substance crime for possession of 50 grams or more of cocaine or methamphetamine. One count alleges a subsequent controlled substance offense based on a prior first-degree drug conviction.
According to the criminal complaint, Inver Grove Heights police were conducting a drug-related investigation involving Buchholz on Sept. 17. Officers conducting surveillance in Hastings reported observing what they believed was a drug transaction between Buchholz and another person.
Authorities later located a vehicle associated with Buchholz in the parking lot of a hotel on the 2400 block of Vermillion Street in Hastings. Buchholz was not inside the vehicle at the time, but a female passenger was present, according to the complaint.
Officers believed Buchholz had entered the hotel. A short time later, police reportedly saw him near the hotel carrying a bag and a box. An officer detained Buchholz and instructed him to drop the items.
Meanwhile, authorities searched the vehicle after a police canine gave a positive alert, according to the complaint. Investigators allegedly found drug-related items inside, including a pipe containing residue and small amounts of suspected controlled substances near the driver's side area.
Buchholz was arrested, and officers subsequently searched the bag he had been carrying. The complaint alleges investigators recovered substances that field-tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed approximately 223.9 grams — roughly half a pound.
Authorities reported recovering additional substances they believed to be methamphetamine, although those substances were not field tested, according to the complaint.
Court records cited in the complaint state Buchholz has a previous Minnesota conviction for first-degree controlled substance crime from 2014. His sentence in that case expired in 2022. Prosecutors are citing that conviction in support of the charge alleging a subsequent controlled substance offense.
The subsequent-offense first-degree possession charge carries a statutory sentencing range of four to 40 years in prison and a fine ranging from $300,000 to $1 million. The second first-degree possession charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years and a fine ranging from $300,000 to $1 million.
The charges are allegations. Buchholz is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.