Carthage woman pleads down to misdemeanor on drug, gun charges

Jeff Lehr, The Joplin Globe, Mo.
·1 min read

Jun. 25—A rural Carthage woman pleaded guilty Thursday to misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance in a felony drug-and-gun case and was fined $300.

Anna M. Johnson, 36, was scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Jasper County Circuit Court on felony counts of possession of methamphetamine and unlawful use of a weapon.

Offered the chance to plead to a reduced count of misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and get the weapon charge dismissed, the defendant took the deal and was fined $300.

The charges stemmed from a search warrant served on Jan. 28, 2021, at the defendant's residence on Cimarron Road by members of the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team and a Jasper County Sheriff's Department SWAT team.

A probable-cause affidavit alleged that the search turned up an unspecified "measurable" amount of meth and a firearm. The affidavit states that the meth was found in a bedroom but does not state where the firearm was located.

Jeff Lehr is a reporter for The Joplin Globe.