Chiefland man arrested after discharge from hospital in Levy County's largest ever methamphetamine seizure
Mug shot of Nome and photos of his crashed vehicle and seized contraband courtesy of LCSO.
Chiefland, (Levy County), Florida - On August 17, 2022, 59 year-old James ("Jim") Thomas Norris was arrested by the Levy County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) as the result of a year-long investigation into information received by the Levy County Drug Task Force, that drugs were being sold from his residence, located south of Chiefland.
Almost a year ago, detectives began gathering information on Norris’s activities. They learned that he was supplying drugs to other drug dealers within a tri-county area that included Dixie, Gilchrist and Levy counties.
Levy County Drug Task Force detectives received assistance that included information from sources and other valuable resources, which was key in building the case, from the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office Drug Task Force, Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office, Chiefland Police Department, North Star Multijurisdictional Drug Task Force, Hernando County Sheriff’s Office Drug Task Force, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Departent of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Throughout the investigation, through numerous sources, detectives learned that Norris was in possession of numerous firearms and ammunition, and their suspicion was confirmed that Norris was a major drug dealer, distributing substantial amounts of methamphetamine from his residence.
On August 15, detectives had sufficient probable cause to arrest Norris for trafficking in methamphetamine and also on weapons charges. Levy County detectives established surveillance on Norris, with the assistance of the North Star Task Force, and attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Norris while he was driving a vehicle. Instead of stopping, Norris accelerated away from law enforcement officers and drove, head on, toward one detective's patrol vehicle, which forced the detetive to veer off the road to avoid a collision. Norris continued to flee from law enforcement officers and also to swerve at pursuing law enforcement vehicles. Norris finally stopped when he intentionally cut off a pursuing vehicle, which caused a collision. Norris sustained non-life threatening injuries; he was transported to a local hospital for treatment. No law enforcement officers were injured.
According to Lt. Scott Tummond with the LCSO, "Norris has a lengthy criminal history which includes felony convictions, prohibiting him from possessing a firearm. Norris made statements to anonymous sources that he was not going back to prison and would harm law enforcement if any attempt to apprehend him was made."
Later the same day, a search warrant was executed at Mr. Norris’s home. Detectives located and seized firearms, ammunition, and over a half pound of methamphetamine along with a variety of prescription controlled substances and marijuana. At the conclusion of this investigation, a total of 346.5 grams of methamphetamine (12.3 ounces), two AR-15 style rifles, a Springfield XD-40 handgun, and ammunition were seized.
Upon Norris’s release from the hospital on August 17, he was booked into the Levy County Sheriff’s Detention Bureau,with his bond set at $1,676,000, on the following charges: three counts of trafficking in methamphetamine, two counts of intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of sale of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of drug equipment, maintaining a drug dwelling, three counts of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, and several weapons charges.