Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Joplin woman pleads guilty to role in meth conspiracy

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri)

A Joplin woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to her role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine that was shipped via UPS from Arizona.

Jennifer M. Conant, 38, of Joplin, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

By pleading guilty today, Conant admitted that she had a package shipped via UPS, which contained approximately one pound of methamphetamine, to a residence in Seneca, Mo. On May 6, 2017, law enforcement officers tracked the suspicious package from its origin in Arizona and upon its arrival at the Joplin UPS conducted a search to confirm the package contained methamphetamine.

A federal agent conducted a controlled delivery of the package to its Seneca destination on May 7, 2017. Shortly after the package was delivered, officers executed a search warrant and located the package in a bedroom of the residence. An occupant of the residence told investigators that Conant had the package shipped to his address and that she had inquired about the package just prior to law enforcement executing the search warrant. He then contacted Conant, who arrived at the residence approximately 45 minutes later to pick up the package and was arrested.

Under federal statutes, Conant is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abram McGull II. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Newton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Ozark Drug Enforcement Team.

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