Neosho man facing drug trafficking, weapons charges

(From the Newton County Prosecuting Attorney's Office)

A Neosho man has been charged with Trafficking Drugs in the First Degree, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Receiving Stolen Property, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon for an incident that is alleged to have occurred on December 12, 2024 on the south side of Joplin, Missouri.

Rusty Lee Farley, 40, of Neosho was charged on a four-count complaint filed in front of Judge Jacob Skouby of the 40th Judicial Circuit. The Trafficking Drugs in the First Degree is a Class A felony carrying a potential sentence of 10 to 30 years in the Department of Corrections. 

“As is always the case, it is important to remember that Mr. Farley is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law,” said William Lynch, Newton County Prosecuting Attorney. 

“As stated in my motion for high bond, Mr. Farley was sentenced to five years in the Department of Corrections on March 1, 2022 and released less than a year later. While the allegations against Mr. Farley are serious, what is more serious is our community once again being made less safe by the Department of Corrections’ catch-and-release policies.” 

The motion for high bond filed by Lynch indicates the defendant received a five-year sentence for possession of a controlled substance and four maximum sentences on Driving While Intoxicated offenses in Newton and Lawrence Counties. 

The charges and information contained in the complaint, probable cause statement, and other court documents are simply accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting these charges must be presented to a jury of the defendants’ peers, and all criminal defendants are innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. This case was investigated by members of the Joplin Police Department and the case will be prosecuted by the Newton County Prosecutor’s Office