|
|
A jury found Amber Felicity Wigton, 44, of Holland, guilty of fifth-degree possession of methamphetamine, a felony, and the lesser charge of obstructing the legal process during a trial that began on Thursday, June 5 and ended on Friday, June 6.
Wigton was charged with the crimes on Oct. 5, 2023. According to a criminal complaint filed then, an officer with the Pipestone County Sheriff’s Office observed her vehicle traveling north from Holland on a rural road at speeds ranging from 38 mph to 58 mph in a 55 mph zone, and swerving within its lane and over the center line and fog line. The vehicle also had brake lights that weren’t working and no license plate visible from the back.
After pulling Wigton over, officers observed a butane torch and an open container of whiskey in the vehicle, according to the complaint. They also observed signs of impairment while speaking with her.
The officers asked Wigton to exit the vehicle and she refused to cooperate, according to the complaint. Officers removed her from the vehicle and had a narcotics detecting dog conduct an exterior sniff of the vehicle. The dog indicated the presence of a controlled substance, according to the complaint. Officers searched the inside of the vehicle and found two zip baggies of a white crystal substance that field-tested positive for meth and weighed a combined 2.5 grams, and a glass meth pipe. They also located three baggies containing 19.31 grams of marijuana and a bottle of whiskey.
During the trial, Assistant Pipestone County Attorney Adam Maloney represented the state and public defender Pamela Neumann represented Wigton. According to court documents, Maloney called Lt. Edison Dengler and Sgt. Investigator Paul Mathews with the Pipestone County Sheriff’s Office, and Dylan Norris with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) as witnesses. He also presented evidence including the two zip baggies of meth, pictures taken by law enforcement, a BCA lab report and a BCA chain of custody report. Pipestone County Attorney Damain Sandy said Wigton took the stand in her defense.
Judge Kayla Johnson ordered that a pre-sentence investigation be done. Sentencing has been scheduled for July 15.