Joplin man pleads guilty to federal meth, weapons charges

During a hearing this morning in U. S. District Court in Springfield, a Joplin man pleaded guilty to dealing meth and illegally possessing a weapon.

Under a plea bargain agreement with Timothy James Michiels, 39, the government will not seek more than 10 years on the meth charge and five years on the weapons charge, with the sentences to run consecutively.

 No date has been set for the sentencing.

Michiels' crimes were detailed in the probable cause affidavit:

On February 18, 2021, at approximately 1:49 p.m., the Newton County, Missouri, Sheriffs Office ("NCSO") tactical team executed the search warrant at MICHIELS's residence at the direction of DEA investigators.

MICHIELS was detained as he exited the master bedroom. MICHIELS's paramour, N.G., and two children who lived at MICHIELS's residence were located shoveling snow at a neighbor's driveway across the street. 

During a search of the master bedroom, investigators located and seized a user amount of suspected methamphetamine from the north nightstand, along with a 9mm SCCY brand pistol, S#433 l 83, which was loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition. Numerous glass pipes consistent with items used to smoke methamphetamine were also located in the master bedroom. A 9mm Taurus brand pistol, S#ABB29541, which was not loaded, was located above the kitchen cabinets. 

There was a Nissan Versa parked in the driveway of the house with a Missouri Temporary license plate that was registered to N.G. In the back seat, investigators located a taped bundle of suspected methamphetamine that weighed approximately 2,411.0 gross grams, with packaging. Both quantities of suspected methamphetamine were field tested and the test gave a positive indication for the presence of methamphetamine in both. 

An uncounted amount of U.S. currency was seized from the garage. During a post-Miranda interview, prior to the search, MICHIELS told me that there were no firearms or large amounts of U.S. currency or drugs in residence. MICHIELS said he had a small amount of "white," which, based on my training and experience, I believed to be a reference to methamphetamine, on the nightstand. 

After finding the SCCY pistol on the nightstand, I asked MICHIELS about the firearm and he said it belonged to him. During a post Miranda interview, N.G. told me that she knew MICHIELS to be a drug addict but said she was unaware of any large quantities of drugs in the residence. 

N.G. said she had a "purple" pistol in the residence, which she later identified as the Taurus brand pistol found above the kitchen cabinets. N.G. looked at the gun seized from the master bedroom and she said it did not belong to her. N.G. said the large quantity of methamphetamine seized from the Nissan in the driveway did not belong to her. 

N.G. said she and MICHIELS both drove the car. She said she had last driven the car to work at 6 a.m., on February 18, 2021, but was told she was not needed that day and returned home at approximately 7 a.m. and had not driven the car since. N.G. said MICHIELS had driven the car the previous night. 

Based upon my training and experience, I believe the amount of methamphetamine located in the Nissan to be a distributive amount and inconsistent with possession solely for personal use.

Based on the facts set forth in this affidavit and my training and experience, I believe that on or about February 18, 2021, in the Western District of Missouri, and elsewhere, MICHIELS knowingly and intentionally possessed, with intent to distribute, a mixture or substance containing 500 grams or more of a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of21 U.S.C. § 84l(a)(l) and (b)(l)(A).