WORTHINGTON, MN — Jerome Mitchell, 67, of Worthington, is facing two felony charges for first-degree possession and sale of drugs after his arrest on April 11. The arrest stemmed from an ongoing investigation into his suspected involvement in drug trafficking.
According to police, around 7 p.m. that evening, a Worthington officer received a tip about Mitchell’s vehicle being tied to the investigation. It was known to authorities that Mitchell had traveled to Minneapolis earlier that day and returned to Nobles County shortly thereafter.
Soon after, the officer spotted Mitchell driving slowly and erratically, crossing lane lines. The officer initiated a traffic stop and began questioning Mitchell, who claimed he had been visiting a friend in Windom for about an hour. When pressed further, Mitchell added that he had also visited a relative in Rochester, but his answers were inconsistent with known investigative facts.
Mitchell eventually admitted to having marijuana in the vehicle’s center console. The officer conducted a K-9 sniff test, which alerted to narcotics on the passenger side of the car. A search revealed a grocery bag containing a large quantity of a crystal-like substance, which field-tested positive for methamphetamine.
Mitchell was arrested and taken to the Nobles County Jail. Subsequent analysis confirmed the bag held approximately half a pound of meth. During questioning, Mitchell admitted he had recently begun selling methamphetamine, after previously dealing marijuana.
He is currently being held on felony charges and is scheduled to appear in Nobles County Fifth District Court on Friday, April 25.
