"My mindset back then is not my mindset now," she said. Lori K. Arnold, 41, of Ottumwa, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on Jan. 4. Still a teenager, she moved into a local boarding house that doubled as a notorious brothel. Stockdall had a link to a large methamphetamine lab in Southern California, where the meth trade was largely centered at the time. It was not a matter of color or gender, neither of which matched. Connie's Obituary. However, he never hated Lori, and perhaps thanks to Loris arrest, never engaged in drug abuse. I got lucky,Lori says in the documentary. In fact, they loaned her their "chemist," who trained Arnold's people in making high-quality meth. But we were both from Iowa, both born in 1960, both got As and Bs, both had a parent with a problematic relationship to a local watering hole (Elks Club for her, V.F.W. Didnt see anybody. Remarkably, the Amezcua brothers weren't upset about Arnold setting up her own supply chain. She operated out of Ottumwa, Iowa, with her then-husband Floyd Stockdall. Arnold allegedly peddled more than 10 pounds of meth a week alone. "So I wanted my friends to share it with me. She served two federal sentences for drug charges. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment. But six months later, the teen bride divorced her husband because she said he was abusive and a cheater, the New York Post reported. "He turned out so good. Queen of Meth is a 2021 American three part documentary series[1] centering upon Lori Arnold, who was a major methamphetamine dealer in the Midwest. That problem led her to purchase a nightclub, a new house, and a fancy car to try and launder some of it. Anytime we would come out and buy drugs, they were preparing until they got enough for a big bust. The world can be cruel and drugs may make you feel better, but it will kill you. I never had to use him for anything. As reported by the Ottumwa Courier, by the time she was just 14-years-old, she was a heavy drinker. Region. She worked at a meatpacking plant and picked up another job at Wendys. Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin will hold a news conference Thursday to announce his findings in a deadly officer-involved shooting in Allentown. The illegal drug trade is a cash business, and dealing with all that cash can be a logistical nightmare. All the things of prison had gone away. A modest production, it relies on the no-nonsense narration of Arnold, who turns out to be a fine companion for three hours and an engaging and lucid guide to the hows and whys of methamphetamine in the Midwest. The local meatpacking plant, Cargill, had not only eliminated a lot of jobs, by 1987,they'd reduced their wages from $18 an hour to just $5.60 an hourwith no benefits. Yarmouth County. "I was missing the old days," she admitted about her second arrest. 'Queen of Meth' reveals Iowan Lori Arnolds shocking life in the drug world. Queen of Meth is also the story of what a catastrophe meth has been for the Midwest and of the damage it did to many of those friends of Arnolds, and to their children. I saw myself on television this week, in the modern sense of seeing someone with whom I identified. And as I got dressed, I saw my husband laying on the floor handcuffed. "I had the idea before I started making it: Sleepy Fox," Josh said. But she felt that meth would have crossed over into the Midwest even without her empire. Many of Loris friends and their families ended up getting addicted to meth. PUBLISHED: February 28, 2023 at 12:04 p.m. | UPDATED: March 1, 2023 at 4:04 a.m. Get ready to Feel the Bern, San Jose. As reported in"Methland,"although Stockdall had retired as the club's president he was still a member, and still kept up his criminal lifestyle, dealing cocaine in Iowa and maintaining his ties with the Grim Reapers. In his book"Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town," author Nick Reding reports that Lori Arnold described her family as "normal and benign." Lori is registered to vote since August 15, 1990 in Seneca County. Lori and Floyd were sent to prison, leaving Josh under the care of Loris relatives. Visually it tends toward the melancholy, as Arnold revisits her now-shuttered bar and the farm she once owned where she and her husband, who later died in federal prison, built their own meth lab, like upper Midwestern Walter Whites. Sierra Porter covers entertainment for the Des Moines Register. Kindly leave a tributes and your condolence messages below . (discovery+). She began to rebel against the rules and expectations of her normal, boring life. I never wanted to hurt anyone. Not Lori Arnold. So when I walked in, they were watching TV and the news came on. The story of Lori Arnold, drug queenpin and sister to Tom Arnold, is a complicated lesson in Midwestern values. As a teen, Arnold developed an alcohol addiction and began drug dealing. Lori Arnold is more than just the little sister to Iowa-born actor and comedian Tom Arnold. Arnold went back to prison for seven more years as a result, finally emerging in 2008 at the age of 47. I fix dinner, my husband I go fishing, I ride my Harley. (discovery+) Today, life is simpler. She said at the time that she conspired to distribute more than 11 pounds of methamphetamine in an 18-month. "I was at the top floor with women who were mostly prostitutes and things like that. Her trial received increased media attention because her brother Tom was a famous Hollywood comedian and actor. Considering how much drama goes into your standard, everyday sibling relationship it's not hard to imagine how weird things can get when your brother or sister becomes incredibly famousnot to mention rich and successful. By then, the meth epidemic had ravaged the city. Tags Lori Arnold Goshen Sign Order Black Lives Matter. [2] In 1991 she was arrested by the DEA, who seized more than $10 million in assets from her. But he's not the only Arnold who has achieved a high level of success, although he may not be in a mood to brag about his sister Lori. As The Fix points out, with the meatpacking and railroad jobs gone and many farms going into bankruptcy, that left Arnold as the largest employer in the region. In Queen of Meth, Lori Arnold and her friends reflect on her time as a high-volume drug dealer. And so it began! While working at Cargill she observed that her co-workersmany of whom were likely former customers of herswere using low-quality meth to get through their workdays. Her life had quickly become a pretty horrifying and depressing one. Heres everything we know! October 13, 1936 May 25, 2022. little sister to Iowa-born actor and comedian Tom Arnold. Her stepdad told Bobby to either dump her or marry her, so he. Dr. Lori Arnold - @divabibliophile PhD: RhetComp, Pedagogy, Motherhood studies. Tom Arnold's sister Lori Arnold is the subject of a new documentary on discovery+. I didnt want anybody to get hurt. Moore-Grimshaw Mortuaries Bethany C 710 West Bethany Home Road, Phoenix (602) 249-2111 He married his wife Jen in 2018, and the couple lives together in Ottumwa with their pet dogs. Legal Statement. She was preceded in death by her husband: Robert Sokolic. "Methland" notes that the marriage didn't last very longby the age of 16 Lori was divorced and deeply involved with drugs and alcohol, though she did go back to school for a year. Lori grew up in a dysfunctional family, and by the age of 14, was already addicted to alcohol and headed for marriage to a man nearly a decade her senior. Tom Arnold and Lori Arnold today. After serving her first sentence, Arnold tried her hand at local jobs but temptation soon overpowered her. "Evidently, he got arrested. She started selling speed and prescription drugs before eventually moving to crystal methamphetamine when the drug began to spread across the Midwest, the outlet noted. [3][4][5] Lori is the sister of actor and comedian Tom Arnold. But once the DEA realized how the meth business was changing, things moved quickly, and in 1990 Lori Arnold's horse ranchwhich was also the location of her meth super labwas raided by the FBI, the DEA, and the ATF. Anyone who has a brother or sister knows the web of envy, irritation, love, and exasperation that defines your feelings towards them. He was just a few months away from his release on parole. And I don't want this to happen,' " she said. Born in Detroit, Michigan to Irene and Francis Moore in January 3, 1933, he was a graduate of Detroit Catholic Central High School in 1950. You dont keep up on whats going on. (Arnold served nine years on drug and gun charges, started dealing again and served another six years.) Obituary Loree J. Kiel, age 65, passed away peacefully at her home with family by her side from complications of lung cancer, on Monday, November 22, 2021, in Walker, MN. But after her release in1999, she went back to Ottumwa and returned to the drug trade. That went a long way in Iowa in the early 1990s. I might have enjoyed Queen of Meth even if it were set in Ohio or Idaho, though. Neil Druckmann, who. She led a multistate methamphetamine production and distribution network. She once held sway overan Ottumwa-basedmethamphetamine manufacturing and distribution empire that stretched from Iowa to California. Early life. Her husband's biker gang connections helped establish her supply chains, and almost overnight she was doing serious business selling what the locals affectionately called "ice.". She talked about it on the show, mentioning that he had hit her and cheated on her with another 12-year-old. She was a deeply spiritual and very creative person, known among her friends and family for her skill . [4][6], "Review: Going Home to Iowa With the Queen of Meth", "Tom Arnold and Sister Lori on Their Twisted Family and Why She Became Known as 'Queen of Meth', "Former 'Queen of Meth' Lori Arnold, Iowa native and sister of actor Tom Arnold, tells all in documentary", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Queen_of_Meth&oldid=1113524972, This page was last edited on 1 October 2022, at 22:47. Convicted of drug trafficking and money laundering, Arnold spent 15 years in prison. And it was a big one. "I learned pretty easy, and I see people that have degrees, and my brothers do, my son does. Lori Arnold was just 18-years-old when she married Floyd Stockdall and became pregnant with his son. All rights reserved. True-crime documentaries arrive by the pallet-load these days Arnold could stack them in her post-criminal job as a forklift operator and I took the time to watch this one purely for the Iowa connection. She said she worked in a prison garment factory to keep her mind busy. EXCLUSIVE: The Queen of Meths reign came to a screeching halt one night in 1991. So I didnt have issues with anyone. She met her fiance in Arizona, and they moved to his hometown Sandusky, Ohio. To add to that, Lori was using meth as well. "They had me read documents from the court, how they evaluated her before the sentencing. Though she made just $1.61 an hour, she said, shewas the highest-paid of the inmates because she was a supervisor, often teachingother women how to sew. Floyd was a drinker, and he reportedly. West Newbury - Stephen "Steve" Arnold passed away on December 30, 2021 after fighting courageously against serious medical issues. "She had two children from a previous marriage, and then they got together and had two more kids. Queen of Methchronicles the life and downfall of this drug operation and Loris relationship with Floyd. "All I heard was a big crash. Linda was not too particular about rules at her house, and it just went on. I was naked. When I got out, I realized some of my old buddies were still doing it and nobody had done better for themselves. When confronted with the next generation of meth users who grew up under her shadow, Arnold still refuses to admit much guilt, saying "Seeing them doing it makes me feel a little guilty even though I didn't have anything to do with it. In 1981, they had a child together, Josh. As a result of the freedom she had, Lori started to date a 23-year-old married man, who she had to then, Lori was released from prison in 2007. But it wasn't an achievement to celebrate. The couple went on to make a tremendous amount of money through the course of the six years that they were active before being arrested and convicted. Anyone can read what you share. She works at a company that distributestransmissions, automotive power steering systems and other components. Meth quickly spread within the city, and there was always demand for more. While her life has turned around, she said that she does feel guilt for having introduced meth in Ottumwa, and the damage that it cause to others' lives. Curious to know where she is now? I didnt go anywhere. The person who expresses the most open anger is Arnolds brother Tom, the actor and former husband of Roseanne Barr, who pushes her to acknowledge what he sees as their own mothers damaging neglect of them. After being introduced to meth by her brother-in-law, Arnold brought some back home with her after a trip out to California with Stockdall, and introduced it to all of her friends in Iowa. It wasn't like I wanted to go get everybody addicted and ruin their lives. You might think that serving time in prison for a variety of drug-related charges would make a person reconsider their life choices, but that wasn't really the case with Lori Arnold. "You dont get a lot of letters. Second, that depressed economy affected more than the police. Jun 1, 2021 Goshen resident Lori Arnold stands by her signs during an interview Tuesday at her home along South Main Street in Goshen. "You know, I wanted to go,'screw that, screw her, screw her husband.'. In May 1980, Lori got married to local biker Floyd Stockdall. Since all of that money came in as cash, she soon found it very challenging to deal with. Lori Arnold and son Josh Stockdall in 1999. With Stockdall,who was arrested with her and later died in prison, she had a son, and she said she is happy that while she was locked up, he grew up to be a "good man. OTTUMWA John S. "Jack" Arnold, 78, of Ottumwa, passed away November 9, 2015, at Hospice House in Ottumwa after a short battle with lung cancer. Photo courtesy discovery+ OTTUMWA Lori Arnold has been back to Ottumwa twice since. Memorial Visitation will be held from 5:00pm to 7:00pm Friday, March 3, 2023 at Rude's Funeral Home, Brookings, SD. Market data provided by Factset. Service Schedule. This is exactly how it happened.". As "Methland" notes, when she was 18-years-old she met her second husband, Floyd Stockdall. Arnold, who grew up in the small town of Ottumwa, Iowa, seemed doomed from the start. Memorials to the family. A combination of wanting to get rich and not being able to stop led Lori Arnold to become one of the most notorious drug dealers in the Midwest during that time. Shes also engaged to a local name Bill who is understanding of her past. The business was booming, and they were making a fair bit of money. I was lying in bed. She has a matter-of-fact charisma and a ready laugh, and you can see how those qualities would have made it easy for her to sell drugs in the depressed, working-class town of Ottumwa, Iowa. SAMUEL LITTLE, AMERICAS MOST PROLIFIC SERIAL KILLER, ACTED AS KINDLY GRANDPA UNTIL MONSTER CAME OUT: DOC, Lori Arnold and son Josh Stockdall in 1999. Her brother, who was gaining fame as a comic actor on TV and in movies while his sister built her illegal empire,participated in the production of "Queen of Meth" and also spoke in the interview. She relocated to Arizona, realizing that if she went back to Ottumwa, therewould be the temptation to return to old habits. Although the local police force in Ottumwa, Iowa, was hard-pressed to do anything about Lori Arnold's growing meth empire, it was only a matter of time before she attracted the wrong kind of attention. Many of Loris friends and their families ended up getting addicted to meth. You can watch the three-part documentary series on Discovery Plus. By the time she was 14, she was hanging around at the club where her mom worked and was addicted to alcohol. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Put simply, part of her success stemmed from the economic desperation of people who didn't have many other options when it came to making a living. "She has a matter-of-fact charisma and a ready laugh, and you can see how those qualities would have made it easy for her to sell drugs in the depressed, working-class town of Ottumwa, Iowa.". ", The Truth About Tom Arnold's Drug Lord Sister, Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town, they'd reduced their wages from $18 an hour to just $5.60 an hour, was raided by the FBI, the DEA, and the ATF. Beginning in 1985, it was the start of a six-year-long wild ride of drug trafficking and manufacturing. Just two years out of prison, it stands to reason all those purchases would be noticed by the wrong people, but Arnold was living the high life and not paying attention. Her parents influence on her career, Where is Mary Roach from American Idol now? The gift of flowers, simply click the button to the late Joseph Walter Faulkner and Cora Harris. To find out Lori Arnold's phone number and address , just adhere to these simple steps: 1. In rehab, she said, she learned her purpose in life and whyshe kept going back to the drug world. But she found her way. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. When I first got out, I did two jobs. She said she signed up with Discovery because"they were willing to do what I wanted as far as telling the truth and not exaggerating it and everything else, which is unusual for a production company.". The real-life Walter White built a drug empire in the unlikeliest of places, and now shes finally told her story. She said themost valuable lesson was to thinkabout the consequences before she acted. As noted by "Methland,"Arnold served eight years of a 10-year sentence and emerged from prison in 1999. Her son had been seven when she'd been arrested, and was now 15-years-old. Lori also has maintained a good relationship with her son, Josh. So no one messed with me. Like a real-life Walter White, Lori Arnold built an incredibly lucrative drug empire centered on her small hometown in Iowa. "But then, I felt this terrible sadness that her life was over and so I got a great lawyer for her, and instead of going to prison for life, she got a 15-year sentence, which if you do this stuff and you're selling, and you're putting it out there, you should go to prison. Susan Losonci - 3 days ago Dear Cutler Family, My heartfelt and sincere condolences, on Sheldon's (z"l) passing. Floyd pleaded guilty in 1993. ", DEATH HOUSE LANDLADY DOROTHEA PUENTE POSSESSED A BLACK HEART, WELCOMED HER VICTIMS IN A LOVING WAY: DOC, Lori Arnolds Corvette in 1987. According to the outlet, Linda drove the couple across the state border to Missouri to legally secure a marriage license. Let's be the change we want to see in this world. If you're looking for a high-profit business to start you could do much worse than methamphetamine. (discovery+), "When you go to prison, you dont really hear about whats going on," she said. But by the 1990s she was both a meth. The Associated Press. The drug trafficking days seem to be truly behind Lori now since she works as a Materials Technician at Freudenberg-Nok, an automotive company. ", UNDERCOVER COP RECALLS HOW SHE GOT AN OHIO MAN TO REVEAL HIS WIFES MURDER IN DOC: THERES EVIL EVERYWHERE, Lori Arnold became known as the Queen of Meth for her high-quality supply. 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