Wyoming Traffic Stop Leads To Major Drug Bust And Sentencing

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Wyoming recently announced John Fowler, 42, with no permanent residency, was sentenced to federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine and for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. Fowler was arrested in Natrona County on August 1, 2024.

The investigation began on July 31, 2024, when Wyoming law enforcement agencies received information that Fowler would be traveling to Wyoming with a large quantity of drugs.

The next day, a Natrona County Sheriff's deputy located the vehicle traveling northbound on I-25 towards Casper. The deputy observed the vehicle to be speeding and initiated a traffic stop near milepost 185.

A Casper Police Department K9 alerted to the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle. A subsequent search revealed 404 grams of methamphetamine and around 48 grams of cocaine. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) responded to assist with the drug investigation.

Through issued search warrants and interviews, it was determined that Fowler and two other occupants in the vehicle, Allen Baker, 22 of Casper, and Berlynn Ditton, 21 of Casper, had brought the drugs from Texas to Natrona County to distribute.

Fowler pleaded guilty and was sentenced in Casper on May 29, 2025, by Chief U.S. District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl to a total of 151 months (~12.6 years) imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.

In state court, Baker was charged with three counts of possession of a controlled substance; he received a six-to-eight-year suspended sentence. Ditton was charged with two counts of conspiracy to deliver; she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and received a one-year suspended sentence plus time served.

“This case is a powerful example of how proactive drug interdiction and teamwork across agencies prevent dangerous drugs from reaching our community,” said Natrona County Sheriff John Harlin. "We will continue to take decisive action against those who threaten the safety of our residents."