North Platte woman convicted of distributing meth and fentanyl

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) – A North Platte woman was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison on charges stemming from drug distribution.

Jamie Hopkins ran an organization responsible for meth and fentanyl in and around the North Platte area between July 2022 and February 2023, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Three controlled purchases from Hopkins and co-defendant, Joey Romero, occurred in July 2022. According to authorities, on July 7, 2022, a confidential informant (CI) purchased 6.2 grams of meth mixture from Hopkins and Romero. On July 13, 2022, the same CI purchased 28.4 grams of meth mixture from Romero in Hopkins’ car in a supermarket parking lot. On July 29, 2022, the CI purchased 26 grams of meth topical from Hopkins and Romero.

According to the law firm, two controlled purchases of Hopkins and Romero took place in August 2022. On August 2, 2022, the CI purchased 26 grams of meth topical from Hopkins at a hotel room belonging to Hopkins and Romero. On August 17, 2022, the CI purchased 10 pills from Hopkins at her home. The pills later tested positive for meth and fentanyl. On January 30, 2023, the CI purchased 36 grams of actual meth from Hopkins and a co-conspirator at Hopkins’ residence.

On February 7, 2023, a search warrant was served on Hopkins’ home. During the search, police found multiple baggies of meth throughout the home, including the bedroom, Hopkins’ purse and in a bathroom toilet. Law enforcement officers also found two hookahs, 29 pills, banknotes, three scales, spoons with residue, 224 rounds of 9mm ammunition, a box of Winchester 380 ammunition with 23 rounds inside and empty pouches in the house.

The bags of meth were tested by the State Patrol Crime Lab. The laboratory confirmed that the samples contained 35.85 grams of a meth mixture.

Romero pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on December 12.

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