Staff at a Minnesota business were allegedly paid in methamphetamine, instead of money, for their bonuses.
Police claim employees of Clear Choice Auto Body Repair in Mankato each received half a gram of the illegal drug during a meeting on Tuesday night, reports local station KMSP-TV.
It could be worth anything between $40 and $200 -- depending on its purity, according to various anti-meth websites.
The "bonuses" were allegedly doled out by Nancy Loehlein, 39, while her 40-year-old boyfriend Jesse Seifert -- who owns the business -- was present, according to a Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force statement.
Agents were tipped off about the alleged unlawful reward system by one of the company's other six employees. The agents, who'd been monitoring the business for several months, conducted a raid shortly after midnight on Wednesday morning.
"During execution of the warrant agents located used syringes which field tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine," according to the statement. "A digital scale containing methamphetamine residue was also located."
Seifert had been arrested before the raid on a separate gross misdemeanor driving charge, reports The Smoking Gun. He was taken to Blue Earth County Jail, where he remains in custody.
Agents said more charges are pending, but would not release further information.
Task force Cmdr. Jeff Wersal told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that Loehlein had not yet been arrested because "we don't have enough evidence to charge her yet."