Conover Woman Sentenced To Serve Prison Time For Trafficking Meth

52-year-old Regina Vess Nelson of Conover, will serve six to eight years in prison following her conviction for trafficking methamphetamine. The sentence was imposed Thursday, January 22nd during Catawba County Superior Court. According to court records, Nelson entered a guilty plea in the case. Superior Court Judge Nathaniel J. Poovey ordered the active prison term and imposed a mandatory fine of $50,000.

The charges stem from a traffic stop on August 21, 2025, according to the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies said Nelson was stopped for speeding while driving a vehicle in Catawba County. A K-9 unit alerted to the presence of drugs, and deputies searched the vehicle, authorities said. Investigators reported finding a baggie of drugs in the engine compartment, along with drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle. Nelson and a male passenger were arrested at the scene and taken into custody.

According to investigators, Nelson told deputies the man asked her to drive him to Charlotte and back to pick up drugs and said he would pay her. The State Crime Lab later confirmed the drugs were a trafficking-level amount of methamphetamine. The co-defendant’s case remains pending. Deputy Ethan Fox handled the investigation for the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant District Attorney Taylor Rockett prosecuted the case for the state, with assistance from Legal Assistant Britnee Ulsamer.

Story: Rob Eastwood-WHKY