West Plains residents arrested in W.S. for drug trafficking

Two local residents have been charged with felonies after being caught with drugs earlier this month. The South Central Drug Task Force and Howell County Sheriff's Office worked together to arrest Jody Lee Cates, 42, and Kristy Naomi Jeuel Norton, 40, both of West Plains, on drug trafficking charges. 

 

Cates is referenced as a known user and distributor of fentanyl in and around Howell County in court documents. Both Cates and Norton have previous drug-related convictions, the former was convicted of possession in 2007, and the latter was convicted in 2019 of distribution charges. The documents also note that Cates has been associated with numerous federal investigations involving narcotics. In April 2021, an overdose death investigation was conducted at Cates' residence where a man was found dead. The cause was determined to be acute fentanyl/methamphetamine intoxication.

 

The task force, along with the Sheriff's Office, conducted a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 60 in Willow Springs on November 6 after learning Norton was on her way back from the St. Louis area with unknown occupants and with a large quantity of narcotics. Sheriff's deputies pulled over the suspect vehicle for speeding, clocking it at traveling 71 miles per hour in a 65 zone. During the traffic stop, K9 unit Spice performed a free air sniff around the vehicle and a black lock box was seen in the back seat of the vehicle. 

 

Law enforcement completed a search warrant on the black box and found 371 grams, or 13 ounces, of methamphetamine and a second locked container. Inside the second container, 250 suspected fentanyl capsules and a rock-like substance suspected to be raw fentanyl, weighing 6.1 grams, was located. The narcotics received positive field-tests after discovery and all of the seized items will be sent to Missouri State Highway Patrol labs for official testing.

 

Cates and Norton have both been charged with two counts of trafficking drugs – second degree and were held on a $50,000 bond, with both pleading not guilty. Cates was released on bond on Nov. 8 and Norton remains in the Howell County Jail. Both were scheduled for court on Monday, Nov. 18.