CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff, Mo., woman preempted her upcoming federal trial by pleading guilty Monday to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine after authorities intercepted a shipment being sent to her.
Jo Anna Woley pleaded guilty to the felony of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine before U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh Jr., according to Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Willis.
Woley had been set to stand trial Thursday on that charge.
As part of the plea agreement, signed by Willis, Woley and her attorney, Rebecca Reed, Woley admitted to the elements of the offense.
The agreed-upon facts of the case say on Feb. 28, 2016, United States postal inspectors intercepted a suspicious parcel in St. Louis, Mo., which was addressed to a "Jo Woley" at a rural Butler County address.
A search warrant was obtained after a drug-detecting police dog alerted to an odor of narcotics coming from the package
The plea agreement says officers opened the package and found it contained 112 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
On March 2, investigators reportedly "attempted a controlled delivery of the package to Woley and encountered her near her residence."
Woley, the plea agreement says, was told of her rights and agreed to speak with investigators.
"Woley initially indicated that she did not know anything about the package; however, later admitted that it had been sent to her by Gregory Sanders, a methamphetamine supplier whom she had met several years" before, the agreement further said.
Woley reportedly indicated she had "one day received a package of approximately 4 ounces of methamphetamine from (Sanders) in the mail."
The plea agreement says Woley admitted she had used some of the methamphetamine and sold the rest.
Woley reportedly further admitted she had received methamphetamine from Sanders on six previous occasions.
Sanders typically would call Woley and let her know "whom various amounts of methamphetamine were for, and Woley would be allowed to keep the rest as long as she paid for it," the plea agreement says.
Woley reportedly would "typically parcel out the methamphetamine to the people Sanders indicated, use some of it and then sell the rest.
"Woley would then send Sanders the money for the methamphetamine sold by herself and others through different means."
According to Woley, the total amount of meth Sanders had sent her was about 28 ounces or about 794 grams.
"At the agents' request, Woley made a consensually recorded phone call to Sanders, and the two discussed the package that had been intercepted," the plea agreement says. "Woley told Sanders that she was nervous about law enforcement watching and waiting for her to get the package.
"Sanders told her that if the package showed up that she should just 'throw it under a tree' and get it another time."
On July 5, Sanders was arrested in Poplar Bluff after allegedly distributing about a half ounce of meth.
After being told of his rights and confronted with allegations he was a meth distributor, "Sanders responded: 'You're right; I am probably good for a couple of pounds,'" the plea agreement says.
Sanders further indicated he was "primarily shopping for others who wanted drugs, as he knew a number of people who sold drugs in various cities."
A state search was obtained for and executed on a Poplar Bluff hotel room where Sanders was staying. Officers reportedly recovered about $5,000 in suspected drug proceeds from the room.
Woley, as well as Sanders, who earlier pleaded guilty in federal court to the felony of conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, agreed to forfeit their interest in the money seized from his hotel room in the 2500 block of North Westwood Boulevard.
Willis said Limbaugh set Woley's sentencing for 2:40 p.m. May 29.
At that time, Woley faces a maximum penalty of not more than life imprisonment, followed by at least a five-year period of supervised release.
Sanders faces the same punishment when he is sentenced on May 15.
The government is expected to dismiss Sanders' additional felony of distribution of methamphetamine at the time his May sentencing.