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A jury found an Albert Lea woman guilty Wednesday of selling methamphetamine to a confidential informant while juveniles were present in November 2021.

Sarah Cox, 47, was convicted of the sole count against her of third-degree drug sale. She is the last to be convicted out of five people who were arrested on warrants in mid-November 2021 for selling drugs to informants.

Court documents state Cox sold an informant meth at her residence while a juvenile was approximately two feet away from the exchange of money and drugs. Three other juveniles were also present in the house during the exchange.

Cox testified and admitted that the substance she thought she gave the informant was heroin or oxycodone, but once the drugs were tested by the BCA, they tested positive for methamphetamine and oxycodone.

Analysis by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension found that the substance sold weighed about .252 grams.

Cox is slated to be sentenced June 12.

Assistant Freeborn County Attorney Abigail Lambert said as a prosecutor she is grateful to have the ability to work with local law enforcement on cases like these.

“Law enforcement, especially the South Central Drug Task Force, worked diligently on the investigation and the gathering of evidence needed,” Lambert said. “The hard work they put into these investigations is the reason convictions in all of the cases were obtained.  I am very happy with the outcome in theses cases. Our community is a safer place.”

The four others convicted of sales with informants from summer and fall 2021 include the following:

• Cody Shawn Ash was convicted of second-degree drug sale and was sentenced in January to 98 months in prison.

• Cody Shawn Rhyns was convicted of second-degree sale of heroin – sale 3 grams or more within a 90 day period and was sentenced in February to 81 months in prison.

• Arycka Ranae Clark was convicted of third-degree sale and child endangerment and was sentenced to five years of probation and a stayed 21-month prison sentence. In a separate case she was convicted of first-degree sale, two counts of child endangerment and two counts of drugs-cause or permit a child or vulnerable adult to ingest, inhale, be exposed to meth — and was sentenced in October to 85 months in prison.

• Terrance Dotson Richard was convicted of third-degree sale of a narcotic and was sentenced in February to three years of supervised probation.

See related story:

“4 facing drug sales charges after arrest warrants executed; warrant out for 5th person”