Joplin Man Sentenced to 19 Years for Meth Conspiracy

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court Friday for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine that was shipped via UPS from Arizona.

Johnny T. Taylor, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 19 years in federal prison without parole.

On June 23, 2020, Taylor pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Co-defendant Jennifer M. Conant, 41, of Joplin, also pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy and was sentenced on Aug. 13, 2018, to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

Taylor and Conant admitted they 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 Taylor and Conant had the package shipped to his address and that they had inquired about the package just prior to law enforcement executing the search warrant.

He then contacted Conant, with law enforcement officers listening to the conversation, and told her the package had arrived. Taylor and Conant arrived at the residence approximately 45 minutes later to pick up the package and were arrested.

This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Newton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Ozark Drug