{"id":72515,"date":"2026-11-10T08:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-10T14:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/?p=72515"},"modified":"2026-11-09T06:12:24","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T12:12:24","slug":"circle-pines-woman-charged-in-311-gram-meth-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/circle-pines-woman-charged-in-311-gram-meth-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Circle Pines Woman Charged in 311-Gram Meth Case"},"content":{"rendered":"

Otter Tail County<\/strong> (trfnews.i234.me<\/a>) \u2014 A Circle Pines woman faces two first-degree felony drug charges following an Interstate 94 traffic stop.<\/p>\n

Jessica June Lopez, 48, is accused of possessing approximately 311 grams of suspected methamphetamine.<\/p>\n

The charges stem from a January 22, 2026, traffic stop in Otter Tail County.<\/p>\n

According to court documents, investigators discovered several bags containing suspected drugs hidden inside a vehicle.<\/p>\n

The case is filed in Otter Tail County District Court under number 56-CR-26-2375.<\/p>\n

Traffic Stop Begins on Interstate 94<\/h2>\n

According to the criminal complaint, a Minnesota State Patrol trooper was monitoring traffic around 11:23 p.m.<\/p>\n

The trooper observed a vehicle traveling 74 mph in a posted 70 mph zone.<\/p>\n

An object hanging from the rearview mirror also caught the trooper’s attention.<\/p>\n

The trooper conducted a traffic stop and identified the driver as Angela Estrem.<\/p>\n

Jessica June Lopez was identified as the passenger.<\/p>\n

Investigators reported that both women appeared extremely nervous during the stop.<\/p>\n

Lopez reportedly had shaky hands while searching her phone for insurance information.<\/p>\n

The driver allegedly avoided eye contact and struggled to place the vehicle in park.<\/p>\n

Conflicting Travel Plans Raise Questions<\/h2>\n

According to the complaint, investigators questioned both women about their travel plans.<\/p>\n

Lopez initially said they were traveling to visit an uncle.<\/p>\n

Estrem reportedly said they were heading toward Breckenridge but could not identify the person they planned to visit.<\/p>\n

She also appeared unsure whether they would stay overnight.<\/p>\n

Lopez later said they were traveling to Fergus Falls to visit an uncle named Dustin.<\/p>\n

The trooper also noticed there was no visible luggage inside the vehicle.<\/p>\n

Investigators reported confusion involving identification information provided during the stop.<\/p>\n

The complaint also references an outstanding warrant involving the driver.<\/p>\n

K9 Search Leads to Suspected Meth Seizure<\/h2>\n

The trooper deployed a police K9 to conduct a drug sniff around the vehicle.<\/p>\n

According to the complaint, the dog alerted near the open passenger window.<\/p>\n

Extreme cold reportedly prevented the K9 from completing additional passes around the vehicle.<\/p>\n

Lopez allegedly told investigators that drug pipes and scales were beneath the passenger seat.<\/p>\n

During a vehicle search, investigators found a red scale under that seat.<\/p>\n

The trooper also searched the trunk and discovered a grocery bag hidden near a rear quarter panel.<\/p>\n

The bag contained several smaller bags holding crystalline material consistent with methamphetamine.<\/p>\n

Investigators reported the suspected methamphetamine weighed approximately 311 grams, or 11 ounces.<\/p>\n

Another substance described as white powder weighed approximately five grams.<\/p>\n

The supplied complaint does not include laboratory confirmation identifying either substance.<\/p>\n

Woman Allegedly Describes Planned Drug Delivery<\/h2>\n

Following the discovery, Lopez reportedly gave investigators a different explanation for the trip.<\/p>\n

According to court documents, she said she was traveling from the Twin Cities to meet a friend.<\/p>\n

Lopez allegedly explained that she had met the friend while receiving treatment.<\/p>\n

She reportedly planned to deliver the methamphetamine and return to the Twin Cities.<\/p>\n

The complaint does not establish that a drug delivery was completed.<\/p>\n

Two First-Degree Felony Charges Filed<\/h2>\n

Prosecutors charged Lopez with first-degree controlled substance sale involving alleged possession with intent to sell.<\/p>\n

The second count alleges first-degree possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine or cocaine.<\/p>\n

Both charges reference Minnesota Statute 152.021<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The complaint also lists earlier drug convictions from Hennepin and Otter Tail counties.<\/p>\n

Each current charge carries a listed maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $1 million fine.<\/p>\n

These are potential maximum penalties, not sentences imposed by the court.<\/p>\n

Otter Tail County Court Proceedings<\/h2>\n

The case is filed in Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District under court file number 56-CR-26-2375<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The complaint is identified as a summons matter.<\/p>\n

The supplied document does not establish Lopez’s plea, current custody status, or final case outcome.<\/p>\n

Readers can search for updates through Minnesota Court Records Online<\/a>.<\/p>\n

All charges remain allegations. Lopez is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.<\/p>\n

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 TRF News. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A Circle Pines woman faces two first-degree felony drug charges following an Interstate 94 traffic stop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Circle Pines woman faces two first-degree drug felonies after an I-94 stop in Otter Tail County. Court papers describe the seizure of 311 grams of suspected meth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":72516,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_wpscp_schedule_draft_date":"","_wpscp_schedule_republish_date":"","_wpscppro_advance_schedule":false,"_wpscppro_advance_schedule_date":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_bluesky_share_type":"","_mastodon_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"","timeOption":"","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":""},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[12],"tags":[31724,11029,2548],"trf_mt_town":[],"trf_mt_county":[29535],"trf_mt_topic":[29493],"trf_mt_series":[],"class_list":["post-72515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime","tag-angela-estrem","tag-drug-charges","tag-otter-tail-county"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72515","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72515"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72515\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":72517,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72515\/revisions\/72517"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72516"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72515"},{"taxonomy":"trf_mt_town","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/trf_mt_town?post=72515"},{"taxonomy":"trf_mt_county","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/trf_mt_county?post=72515"},{"taxonomy":"trf_mt_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/trf_mt_topic?post=72515"},{"taxonomy":"trf_mt_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/trf_mt_series?post=72515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}