Willshire woman enters guilty plea

VW independent staff

WAPAKONETA — A Willshire woman arrested in late April in Auglaize County after she was caught with more than $20,000 worth of meth has pleaded guilty to a felony charge.

Records from the Auglaize County Clerk of Courts Office show Nicole Cooper, 43, appeared in Auglaize County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday and changed her plea from not guilty to guilty to one count of possession of drugs with specifications, a first degree felony. In exchange, a charge of trafficking in drugs with specifications, also a first degree felony, was dismissed.

A pre-sentence investigation was ordered and court records show Cooper will be sentenced on August 19. She’s facing a mandatory sentence of 3-11 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000.

Cooper was arrested on April 23 after a traffic stop along Interstate 75 near Wapakoneta. According to a press release issued by the Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office, a K-9 was requested to conduct a sniff of the vehicle and gave a positive indication. Deputies then searched the vehicle and found 1.5 pounds of suspected meth along with just over $800 in cash. Cooper was taken to the Auglaize County Corrections Center, where she’ll remain until sentencing.