Thursday, March 12, 2015

Government: Joplin man facing meth charges should remain behind bars

The U. S. Attorney wants a Joplin man to remain behind bars while he awaits trial on drug charges.

In a motion for a detention hearing filed today in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Assistant U. S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert, said there is a serious risk that Jason Stansill, 34, poses a danger to the public.

From the motion:

When Joplin, Missouri, Police Department officers arrested the defendant on March 9, 2015, he, along with his co-defendant Joel Thompson, possessed approximately 150 grams of methamphetamine. Considering the nature and the circumstances of the offense charged, where the defendant possessed that much methamphetamine for distribution, the Government would assert that this activity is fraught with the danger of violence if the defendant, or a co-defendant, felt threaten in the distribution of that methamphetamine. 

Additionally, when the Joplin Police Department attempted to arrest the defendant on March 9, 2015, the defendant was sitting in his driver’s seat of his vehicle, and observed the officers approaching his vehicle. 

The defendant placed the vehicle in reverse, accelerated quickly, and struck another vehicle behind his vehicle. The defendant next placed his vehicle in drive, and accelerated forward, striking another vehicle in front of him. 

Only after striking two other vehicles in an attempt to avoid arrest did the defendant surrender to police. Additionally, the weight of the evidence against the defendant in strong and consists of observations and seizures by law enforcement that indicated that the defendant was a part of a criminal enterprise to distribute methamphetamine. 

The defendant also has an extensive criminal history. On June 20, 2014, the defendant was convicted of possession of a controlled substance, in Jasper County, Missouri, Circuit Court, for which he received a sentence of four years. 

On December 16, 2013, the defendant was convicted of possession of a controlled substance and receiving stolen property in Newton County, Missouri, Circuit Court, for which he received a sentence of seven years for the possession charge and three years for the stolen property charge. 

The 2013 sentences had originally been suspended by the court and the defendant had been placed on probation. The defendant’s probation was revoked because of the defendant’s continued criminal activity, and these sentences were imposed on September 25, 2014. 

Sometime after September 25, 2014, the defendant was released from the Missouri Department of Corrections and it is believed that he is currently on parole for the remainder of his unserved prison time. The defendant’s criminal history clearly shows that he cannot abide by any set of conditions which may be imposed by this Court, and presents not only a risk to flee, but also a present danger to the community.

Stansill and Joel Ray Thompson are charged with "knowingly and intentionally possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetmaine.


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