MISSOURI — A man from Bakersfield, California was sentenced in federal court today for leading a drug trafficking operation across Missouri and Oklahoma.
According to the U.S. District Court, 48-year-old William D. Johnson was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison without parole.
Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in February 2022.
A release from the U.S. District Court states that Johnson had distributed the drugs from May 2019 to January 2021 in Newton, Laclede, Lawrence and Greene counties.
Johnson was stopped by a Joplin, Missouri police officer in June 2019. Officers discovered 90.63 grams of meth and just over $16,000 in cash during that stop.
His vehicle was searched again in May 2020, this time by Lebanon, Missouri police officers. Johnson was in possession of a 9 mm pistol, a stolen .380 firearm, 180 grams of meth and just over $33,000 in cash.
At the time of Johnson’s arrest in January 2021, he had a smoking device with meth residue, two cell phones and just over $11,000 in cash in his possession.
Court documents state that law enforcement also found a storage unit belonging to Johnson that contained 231 pounds of meth, two rifles and nearly $500,000 in cash.
Johnson also maintained two residences and officers seized more drugs, three handguns and over $40,000 in cash from those properties.
Johnson is the fourth and final defendant to be sentenced in this case. His three co-defendants have been sentenced as follows:
Douglas S. Ward, 35, of Lebanon was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison without parole.
Rita M. Glasgow, 33, of Joplin was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
Joshua T. Davenport, 42, of Miami, Oklahoma was sentenced to five years and nine months in federal prison without parole.
