Lyon County Sheriff answers questions about courthouse burglary

ROCK RAPIDS, Iowa (Sioux County Radio/KTIV) - The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office has released additional details surrounding the recent burglary at the Lyon County Courthouse.

According to Sioux County Radio, Sheriff Brian Hilt said the sheriff’s office had no prior interactions with either suspect.

Investigators believe the individuals had only a distant connection to the area and had been inside the courthouse previously, but officials say it would be speculative to determine a specific motive beyond taking advantage of an opportunity to commit the crime.

The investigation ultimately led law enforcement across state lines. Sheriff Hilt says assistance from the FBI was requested due to existing professional relationships and the suspects’ movement into South Dakota, including the possibility that they were on or near reservation land. That cooperation helped authorities identify and locate the suspects.

According to the sheriff’s office, the suspects were tracked to South Dakota after investigators learned they had traveled to the Whitewood area. South Dakota law enforcement later located the suspects in Spearfish after a vehicle connected to the case was reported stolen and linked to their movements. The suspects were taken into custody shortly after 1 a.m. on Dec. 20.

Officials say the suspects are currently being held in South Dakota while awaiting extradition to Lyon County. The timing of that transfer remains uncertain, as it could depend on whether charges in South Dakota must be addressed first.

The sheriff’s office says the total cost of damage at the courthouse has not yet been finalized. Warrants were filed once investigators determined the damage threshold for criminal charges had been met, with final costs to be calculated after cleanup and repairs are completed.

Sheriff Hilt also addressed concerns about personal information potentially being compromised during the burglary. He says departments are reviewing video footage and records, but at this time, any potential exposure appears to be very limited in scope and does not include Social Security numbers.

A release from courthouse departments, distributed by the sheriff’s office, provides further details on the break-in and what was and was not compromised.

“Following the recent break-in, our office conducted an initial assessment and, at this time, there is no evidence to suggest that any voter documents or voter information were compromised,” stated the Lyon County Auditor in the press release. “We have remained in close communication with the Secretary of State and are cooperating fully to ensure all appropriate protocols are followed. Safeguarding voter information and maintaining public trust are of the utmost importance, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely and share updates as warranted.”

In the press release, it also stated the following:

• The Lyon County IT Director confirmed that the network and servers were not compromised.
• The Lyon County Assessor confirmed that nothing in their office was compromised.
• The Lyon County Recorder confirmed that nothing in their office was compromised.
• The Lyon County Treasurer says 45 driver’s licenses that were renewed/re-issued (out of state) that were due to be shredded have been identified. Officials say most of these were expired or soon to be expired. Additionally, over $3,800 in checks were taken from the motor vehicle and driver’s license, and they are working to contact residents affected by this.

For the Lyon County Attorney’s Office, officials say they are aware that a certain limited amount of paper documentation may have been viewed or taken during the break-in. Officials say the county attorney’s office is still reviewing this information and will provide updates if information has been compromised. Because case files are almost entirely paperless, officials believe the potential of those files being compromised is minimal.

“At this time, there is no evidence that the individual(s) involved accessed confidential or sensitive records in the Clerk of Court’s Office. All official case files have been stored electronically in the judicial branch case management system since 1997,” stated the Lyon County Clerk of Court. “The assessment of whether any older physical documents were impacted during the break-in is ongoing.”

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