United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods revealed that Michael W. Stroble, 32, from North Platte, Nebraska, faced federal justice for his role in a methamphetamine conspiracy. On September 11, 2025, Stroble was handed down a sentence of 138 months, with no parole, for one count of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of the illegal substance.
The group, which included Joey Romero, Jamie Hopkins, Michael Stroble, Luke Schwartz, and others, operated between July 2022 and February 2023. They were responsible for distributing significant quantities of meth in and around North Platte. The ring was dismantled through a series of controlled buys, search warrants, and arrests.
By January 2023, Stroble had become romantically involved with Hopkins and they lived together while selling meth. A January 17th buy resulted in the seizure of 48 grams of meth less than half a mile from Hopkins’s home. Another transaction on January 30th saw 36 grams seized at her residence.
A February 7, 2023, search warrant led to significant evidence being found at Hopkins’s North Platte home, including multiple baggies of meth, bongs, pills, scales, ammunition, and more.
Stroble’s co-defendants faced sentences as well, with Schwartz receiving 120 months on September 5, 2024, and Hopkins and Romero each sentenced to 120 months in October 2024 and December 2024 respectively.
The CODE Task Force, a collaboration of law enforcement agencies across a 22-county region in west-central/southwest Nebraska, led the investigation. The team included the North Platte Police Department, Lexington Police Department, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, Ogallala Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations.
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Key Facts
- State: Nebraska
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Public Corruption|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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