St. James couple facing felony drug charges in two counties following major meth bust

(Mankato, MN) – A man and woman from St. James are facing felony drug charges in two counties after a controlled meth purchase led to their arrests.

Edward Francisco Soto, 21, and Samantha Jo Korman, 20, each face two counts of felony 1st-degree drug sales and two counts of 1st-degree drug possession in Blue Earth County Court. The pair will also be charged in Watonwan County with aggravated first-degree controlled substance sales and possession, according to a joint press release from the Minnesota River Valley and Cannon River Drug Task Forces.

According to the criminal complaint, an informant arranged a controlled purchase of approximately one-quarter ounces of methamphetamine from Soto in Mankato on February 28th. Uniformed police approached the vehicle and identified Korman as the driver. Soto began to fight with officers and was seen dropping a large bag of believed meth outside the vehicle, according to the complaint.

Court documents say Korman told police she was aware that the pair was in Mankato to sell a large quantity of meth. Police found approximately 294 grams of meth between the bag Soto had attempted to discard and in another baggie located in a backpack inside the vehicle, according to court documents.

Later that evening, drug task force agents searched Korman and Soto’s home in St. James. According to the press release, agents found 118 pounds of liquid meth, 404 grams of crystal meth, and a stolen handgun.

According to investigators, crystal meth is commonly dissolved in water to avoid detection. The substance is then boiled or evaporated to restore it back to crystal meth.

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