Government recommends 14-year sentence for Joplin Honky on meth, weapons charges

A Joplin Honky gang member who pleaded guilty in January to meth and weapons charges should spend 14 years in prison, according to a sentencing memorandum filed this morning in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

In the memorandum, Assistant U. S. Attorney Anthony M. Brown cites the lengthy criminal history of James Grant Wilson, 32, Joplin, and the severity of his crimes.

The history and crimes were detailed in the memorandum:

This offense started with the defendant posting an image to his Facebook page that depicted him holding a black handgun with the caption “I hope y’all are ready for the next level.”

The defendant was a known felon and criminal character in the Joplin, Missouri area. On July 24, 2019, the defendant was observed at a local hotel and known to have a parole absconder warrant for his arrest – officers attempted to make a stop of a vehicle being operated by the defendant and a high speed chase ensued, with two other occupants in the vehicle. 

During the chase, the defendant was observed throwing a bag out of his vehicle, which was recovered by law enforcement. The bag was found to have the handgun that was charged in the Indictment in Counts 2 and 3, along with 62.47 grams of methamphetamine and a drug ledger. 

The Government respectfully recommends that a total sentence of 168 months’ imprisonment is appropriate given the nature and circumstances of this offense.

The defendant is a 32-year-old male with a lengthy criminal history. The defendant acquired his first felony conviction at the age of 20 when he was convicted of burglary out of the Circuit Court of Vermilion County, Illinois, in which the defendant stole a television from a residence; he received a three-year sentence of incarceration, from which he was paroled after serving a little less than a year, and then subsequently returned to imprisonment just a few short months later. 

The return to imprisonment in that case was as a result of a subsequent burglary and aggravated battery convictions that occurred in Piatt County, Illinois, Circuit Court, in which the defendant committed a home invasion and was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. 

The defendant continued to commit burglary-related offenses, breaking into an inhabitable structure in Newton County, Missouri, when he committed two more burglary offenses at the age of 26 in January & April 2016; he received the benefit of probation in this case in June 2016, and that probation was revoked only two months later in August. 

Finally, prior to this offense, the defendant committed and pleaded guilty to the offenses of tampering with a motor vehicle in the first degree and resisting an arrest, creating a substantial risk of death or serious physical injury, in the Circuit Court of Newton County, Missouri.

In that matter, the defendant possessed a stolen motor vehicle and a law enforcement officer attempted to make a stop of that car – the defendant fled that law enforcement officer at speeds of 110 miles per hour. 

The defendant pleaded guilty and received a six-year term of imprisonment for that offense – he was paroled, and was on community supervision for this offense when the current offense occurred.

Wilson's sentencing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. October 4 in Springfield.