Nine People Face Federal Grand Jury Indictment On Drug Charges

pleads-in-court

Nine people have been indicted by a federal grand jury in a conspiracy to distribute drugs in Howell, Texas and Greene Counties. 61 year old Shirley J. Hicks  63 year old Raymon F. Ortega  57 year old Benny D. Griffin, 37 year old Jose I. Gonzales,  25 year old Jordan W. Gutierrez, and  39 year old Shaun M. Ross, all of West Plains, 38 year old Fontella J. Noose, of Springfield, 52 year old  James E. Cooper, of Mountain View, Missouri; and 36 year old Luis Ortiz Rodriguez, address unknown, were charged in a 19-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield on Tuesday That indictment was unsealed and made public Friday upon the arrests and initial court appearances of Hicks, Ortega, Griffin, Cooper, and Ross.

The federal indictment alleges that each of the nine defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Howell, Greene, and Texas counties from Dec. 31, 2015, to June 21, 2019.

Hicks is  also charged with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute in Howell County and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.