Stillwater woman jailed on fentanyl trafficking charge

  STILLWATER — A 43-year-old Stillwater woman, whose car had a GPS tracker installed by police on a search warrant issued by a judge, has been jailed on $100,000 bond pending a court appearance on Nov. 2 at which she can seek a preliminary hearing on a charge of trafficking fentanyl.

   If convicted of possessing one gram or more of the drug, Sherri Louise Stokes could be given a 20-year prison term plus a $250,000 fine, court records show.

   Stillwater Police Detective Josh Carson alleged in an affidavit, “On Oct. 12, 2026, I began an investigation involving Sherri Stokes. I know Sherri is involved in drug trafficking. On 10-9-26 I installed a GPS tracker on Sherri Stokes’ Chevrolet Malibu,” which was authorized by a Payne County judge.

   “On Oct. 12, 2026, at approximately 4:15 pm, I observed the tracker go east to the area of Tulsa near 71st Street and Hwy. 75, but the vehicle did not stop long enough for a person to go into a store. The vehicle left this area and went east further into Tulsa where it stopped at an apartment complex for approximately six minutes and then left and traveled back toward Stillwater

   “Through my training and experience, this type of trip with drug users and distributors often indicates the person went and picked up narcotics. Stokes’ vehicle was traveling west on Hwy. 51. I got behind the vehicle near Hwy. 51 and Fairgrounds, at which point it began changing lanes to the inside lane and turned on its left blinker as it was changing lanes and failed to signal 100 feet prior to lane change.”

   During a traffic stop, Stillwater Police Detective Adam Elliott used his K9 to conduct a free-air examination around the vehicle and indicated it needed to be searched, “but no items of evidentiary value were located inside the vehicle,” the affidavit said.

   Stokes’ passenger “eventually stated she and Stokes went to Tulsa to purchase narcotics. She was adamant she did not purchase any, and she did not have any narcotics on her person. She indicated Stokes did purchase narcotics and believed they were on person,” but none were found by a female officer searching the passenger, the affidavit alleged.

   “Stokes stated she went to Tulsa to see her (relative). Stokes stated she visited with her (relative) for 30-45 minutes before leaving. Due to watching the tracker, we knew this was a lie. Stokes provided (her relative’s) number to me. I called and spoke with (her relative). She informed me she does not have a relationship with Stokes and has not seen her since the 4th of July,” Detective Carson alleged in his affidavit.

   When Stokes was searched by a female officer, no items of evidence were found on her, the affidavit said. Stokes’ passenger was taken to the Payne County Jail where a body scanner cleared her of any narcotics, and she was allowed to leave, the affidavit said.

   “At this point, Stokes was detained as I applied for a search warrant for a body scan and a search of Stokes’ person…I sent a text message to Officer McSpadden stating the judge granted the search warrant. He informed Stokes of this. He immediately observed an extreme change in behavior as Stokes hung her head as if she was defeated, took a deep breath and then began aggressively shaking her right leg.

   “Stokes was escorted inside the Payne County Jail where she was taken out of handcuffs and run through the body scan. No items were seen at this point by the on-duty detention officers; therefore, she was changed into an orange jumpsuit so they could operate the body scan and see the monitor as they are used to, instead of being in her clothes.

   “The detention officers still did not see the items concealed on the body scan. I requested the female detention officer and the female police officer to conduct an additional search on Stokes. It was discovered Stokes was hiding the illegal narcotics under one of her breasts. The detention officer took possession of the contraband and released it to me,” that tested as fentanyl and weighed two grams, Detective Carson alleged in his affidavit.