A routine traffic stop in Mountain View has led to serious drug trafficking charges against a man identified as Frank Roberts, following a multi-agency investigation involving the South Central Drug Task Force and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
According to a probable cause statement filed in Howell County Circuit Court, Roberts was stopped shortly after midnight on September 24 while driving a vehicle under surveillance for suspected narcotics activity. Investigators had previously obtained a GPS warrant for the vehicle, which had tracked its movements from Paragould, Arkansas to Saint Louis, Missouri and back to Howell County.
During the stop, Roberts—who was operating the vehicle despite a suspended license—consented to a search. A K9 unit alerted to the presence of narcotics, and officers discovered a white sock in the rear compartment containing a bag of crystal substance and two additional bags of capsules. Field testing confirmed the crystal substance as methamphetamine, weighing approximately 196 grams. The capsules, suspected to be fentanyl, weighed roughly 21 grams and were not field tested due to safety concerns.
Roberts allegedly admitted ownership of the substances during the stop. He now faces two counts of first-degree drug trafficking: one for methamphetamine and one for fentanyl.
The statement also cites Roberts’ history of narcotics distribution in the region, including a June 2025 arrest and plea agreement.
