Methamphetamine Bust Near Stewartville Leads to Probation

Stewartville, MN (KROC-AM News) - A woman from the Albert Lea area has been sentenced for a felony drug conviction stemming from a traffic stop in Stewartville.

Criminal Case Settled Through Norgaard Plea

Forty-one-year-old Cassandra Ann Carter of Glenville previously entered a Norgaard plea to a second-degree drug possession charge under a plea agreement that resulted in the dismissal of a first-degree drug sale charge and a third-degree drug possession charge. A Norgaard plea allows a defendant to plead guilty while asserting that they do not remember the events surrounding the offense because of drug or alcohol impairment.

Traffic Stop on Interstate 90 Led to Methamphetamine Discovery

The criminal complaint says Carter was a passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over by an Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office deputy for a turn-signal violation on Interstate 90 in September 2024. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of more than 27 grams of methamphetamine.

Search Evidence of Alleged Drug Dealing

The court document says the deputy also found 15 cellphones, two digital scales, 200 empty Ziploc baggies, and Post-it notes that appeared to be drug ledgers. Most of the methamphetamine and the other items were found in a purse on the floorboard next to Carter.

Sentenced to Probation

Carter was sentenced to five years of probation and 126 days in jail. However, the jail sentence was satisfied by credit for the time she had spent in custody since her arrest. She was also ordered to perform 50 hours of community service.