Joplin businessman to be arraigned on felony drug trafficking charge

A 9 a.m. February 20 arraignment is scheduled in Jasper County Circuit Court for Joplin businessman Jeff Carney, who faces a felony charge of delivery of a controlled substance.

The hearing will be held before Judge John Nicholas, who is presiding after Carney's attorney, Phil Glades, made a motion to remove Joseph Hensley, the original judge.

The Jasper County Sheriff's Office arrested Carney, 41, owner of VIP Limousine and former owner of Jeff Carney Auto Sales, December 23 following a traffic stop on Route JJ.

From the probable cause statement:

On Saturday, December 23, 2017, at 0158 hours, I observed a black Chevrolet Suburban pulling an empty U-Haul flatbed turn southbound on Route JJ from Route Z in Jasper County, Missouri. The roadway was snow covered and as the vehicle approached the intersection it slid. As the driver turned south, the vehicle crossed over the center portion of the roadway. I also observed window tint in excess of 35 percent.

I stopped the vehicle and contacted the driver, Jeffrey L. Carney and passenger (his wife) I asked Mr. Carney to exit his vehicle and sit in my patrol vehicle. As Mr. Carney sat in my patrol vehicle, he leaned over the center arm rest into my personal space and I could smell an overwhelming odor of marijuana. Mr. Carney became argumentative and confrontational.

A search of the vehicle was conducted and in a suitcase in the rear of the vehicle, I located 13 bags of marijuana with an approximate weight of four pounds. In a women's purse-sized bag behind the driver seat a plastic bag containing a marijuana bud was located.

The traffic stop was approximately 1,000 feet directly west of Carl Junction High School.

The probable cause statement said that as Carney was being handcuffed, he said, "She didn't know about it," referring to his wife, turned to her and said, "Sorry, I should have told you."