Joplin dentist, government discussing plea deal

(Update: U. S. District Court Judge Willie Epps has denied John Joseph's motion for a continuance and his trial is scheduled to begin September 14. A pre-trial conference is set for August 18 in Springfield.)

 With less than six weeks left before his client's trial for illegal transport of weapons, the attorney for Joplin dentist John Joseph is asking for a 90-day continuance for time to work with the government on a plea agreement.

In a motion filed today in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, attorney Joseph McGroder of Graves Garrett LLC, Kansas City, explained the need for the continuance.

Counsel for Mr. Joseph and government counsel are presently engaged in
discussions regarding a potential plea agreement. The parties need additional time to meet and confer regarding the terms of any such agreement.

Mr. Joseph has been informed of and understands the need for this continuance. This request is for good cause and will not result in undue delay or prejudice to either party.

Under the circumstances, the ends of justice served by granting the requested continuance outweigh the best interest of the public and Mr. Joseph in a speedy trial. 

Joseph's indictment came as a result of his March 5, 2025 arrest by the Joplin Police Department, which led to charges of drug trafficking and unlawful use of a weapon.

The Joplin Police Department arrested Joseph after detectives saw him make what is described in the probable cause statement as "a hand-to-hand narcotic transaction after getting out of a pickup truck."

From the probable cause statement for the Newton County case:

Joseph was detained after getting back into his truck and searched. During the search, a large package of a substance, believed to be fentanyl, was located in his pocket. This package was later found to weigh 11 grams.

A search was then conducted of Joseph's 2022 Ram pickup truck where I located approximately one gram of fentanyl, multiple items of drug paraphernalia consistent with the ingestion of fentanyl and an H&K 9mm pistol.

Joseph stated under Miranda that he provided $600 for {the} package located in his pocket.

The H&K pistol was later found to have been reported as stolen from a residence in Joplin in 2016.