Michigan man found not guilty in Fond du Lac methamphetamine conspiracy trial from 2022 charges
FOND DU LAC – A Fond du Lac jury has acquitted a Michigan man in a drug case from 2022.
After a four-day jury trial, Jason Norton, 25, was found not guilty May 17 for the charge of conspiracy to manufacture or deliver more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
Attorney Daniel Kaminsky, who represented Norton, said he maintained his innocence ever since the charge was filed in November 2022, as investigators and the prosecution had theorized Norton was part of a drug ring importing methamphetamine from the Detroit area to Fond du Lac.
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Nine other people were charged in the case after the Fond du Lac Police Department, Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Drug Unit and Drug Enforcement Administration started investigating in early 2022, according to initial coverage from The Reporter.
Investigators believed all 10 accused had been involved in delivery and distribution of more than 100 pounds of meth since the start of 2022, which had a street value of more than $1 million. More than 3.25 pounds of methamphetamine and 280 grams of fentanyl were seized during the investigation.
Kaminsky said investigators "appeared to actively ignore" evidence that their informants were not being truthful, which included phone location data that proved he wasn't in Wisconsin during much of the time the informants claimed he met with them in person. He added officers who testified did not offer an explanation for why they didn't ask their informants to explain the discrepancies or investigate those leads.
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"Unfortunately, it seems this was a case where investigators were only interested in information that fit their predetermined narrative," Kaminsky said.
Judge Andrew Christenson oversaw the trial, and Fond du Lac County Assistant District Attorney Amber Hahn was the prosecutor.
Why we cover courts: This report is part of The Reporter's mission to fulfill our obligation to follow criminal cases from arrest to their conclusion. The aim is to shine a light on the criminal justice process so readers can see how publicly funded law enforcement and courts function.
Contact Daphne Lemke at dlemke@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Fond du Lac jury finds Michigan man not guilty for drug charges
