Idaho Couple Sentenced for Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Distribution

A Idaho Falls couple has been sentenced to over ten years combined for their roles in distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine in eastern Idaho.

Richard Corey Fox, 54, and Angelina Larae Norton, 61, were sentenced in separate hearings for their involvement in a large-scale distribution operation.

According to court records, detectives with the BADGES Task Force initiated an investigation in the summer of 2022 after identifying Fox and Norton as the source of supply for fentanyl, along with other controlled substances, for other individuals in the region.

The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on Fox’s vehicle on July 19, 2022, and seized an ounce of methamphetamine and a large amount of U.S. currency. A separate vehicle in which Norton was a passenger was stopped shortly thereafter, and three-quarters of a pound of methamphetamine was seized.

Further investigation uncovered cell phone communications showing that Norton and Fox actively engaged in distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine and were in possession of firearms.

On May 28, 2024, Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye sentenced Fox to 92 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. On December 22, 2023, Judge Nye sentenced Norton to 37 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit praised the strong partnerships between law enforcement agencies in rooting out drug distribution in Eastern Idaho. Pocatello Police Chief Roger Schei commended the hard work of all agencies involved in the investigation.

The case was investigated through the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that focuses primarily on drug trafficking crimes in Bannock County and throughout the region.

The investigation was a joint effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Idaho State Police, the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, the Pocatello Police Department, the Chubbuck Police Department, and the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Blythe H. McLane prosecuted the case.