Another Heroin Bust

A West Plains woman spent less than 24 hours in Howell County Jail after she was arrested in possession of more than 235 grams of methamphetamine, 204 capsules of heroin/fentanyl, and 8 grams of cocaine. Amanda J. Jones, 37, faces two class A narcotics trafficking felonies and a class C trafficking charge after a K9 unit alerted to the presence of drugs in her vehicle during a traffic stop. 

According to a probable cause statement filed by Corporal Derek Hughston of the Howell County Sheriff's Office, he pulled Jones over for a license plate violation on March 30. Because law enforcement had gathered recent information on the vehicle in association with narcotics trafficking activity, Crpl. Hughston immediately requested a K9 unit to join him at the scene. 

Deputy Travis Weaver and his K9 partner Otis arrived and conducted a "free air sniff" of the vehicle's exterior, says a press release from sheriff's office. K9 Otis alerted to the presence of narcotics, and deputies proceeded with a search of the vehicle. 

In the course of this search, law enforcement found:

-Two bags of suspected methamphetamine weighing together approximately 235.6 grams including packaging materials on uncertified scales.

-One bag containing 204 suspected heroin/fentanyl capsules

-One bag containing suspected cocaine weighing approximately 13.9 grams 

Jones was taken into custody and booked into Howell County Jail. She was formally charged with three trafficking felonies that day. 

Two Busts in Seven Months

Jones posted a $500,000 bond on April 1. Her brief jail stay so soon after her involvement in another large-scale heroin bust has caused many in the community to voice concerns. 

As reported by Howell County News in August, Jones was charged in a large-scale heroin bust when the sheriff's department served a search warrant on her residence outside Willow Springs. At that time, she was charged with a class A trafficking felony, three counts of unlawful use of a weapon, three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, one count of possession of a controlled substance, and one count of delivery of a controlled substance. Online court records show these charges remain pending. Jones has been out on bond for these charges since August 16. 

The matter from August is scheduled for a criminal setting before the Honorable Steven Privette on April 8. On April 1, Jones's attorney filed a Motion to Withdraw as her counsel. The same day, Howell County Prosecuting Attorney filed a Motion for Revocation of Bond. 

"Something is Broken Somewhere"

"The catch-and-release system does not benefit our citizens," Howell County Sheriff Brent Campbell told Howell County News. "At some point in time, our concentration has to be on the protection of our citizen's. It just seems like we're dealing with the same elements getting arrested multiple times."

Sheriff Campbell said recidivism like Jones's and her short amount of time off the streets is "usual, but not acceptable."

"When this revolving door occurs, we're having to investigate the same individuals over and over, and we can't give time to other areas that may benefit from our attention," he expanded. "I'm speaking from [the law enforcement] side of it. To those who see the recidivism rate, we can see something is broken somewhere."

Sheriff Campbell says he has attempted to address the rate of re-offending by giving outtake packets to inmates of Howell County Jail upon their release. Beyond that, his department does not have the funding for more robust rehabilitation efforts.

"I would love to start some programs within my jail," Sheriff Campbell said. "There needs to be more treatment and soft skills given to inmates. I try to do what I can with what I have."