Halfway man gets 15 years for meth conspiracy, firearms

Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Halfwayman was sentenced in federal court Sept. 12 for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene, Polk, Christian, Jasper, Laclede and Webster counties and for illegally possessing firearms.

Joseph R. Allen, 42, of Halfway, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Allen has forfeited a 2005 Mazda 6 and eight firearms, all of which were seized by law enforcement officers and had been used to commit the offenses.

On May 16, 2016, Allen pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and to possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Beginning in 2012, the Drug Enforcement Administration, assisted by other agencies, began investigating a large-scale methamphetamine distribution network in southwest Missouri involving several sources of supply both inside and outside of the state. Co-defendant Kenna Harmon, 37, of Republic, has pleaded guilty to being the leader of the drug-trafficking conspiracy along with her husband, Daniel Harmon. Daniel Harmon was indicted in the Eastern District of Missouri and pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

In total, the Harmon drug-trafficking organization was responsible for the distribution of over 45 kilograms of methamphetamine from June 1, 2013, through Nov. 29, 2014. The Harmons obtained pound amounts of methamphetamine from sources in Kansas City and St. Louis and in Oklahoma for distribution in the Springfield area.

Allen is the brother of Kenna Harmon. Allen admitted that he accompanied Kenna Harmon when she distributed methamphetamine and that he protected the property in Polk County that was used to store methamphetamine. Allen possessed several firearms while providing protection to the property.

On Nov. 28, 2014, federal agents executed a federal search warrant at a property in Halfway. Kenna Harmon owns the property, where she has built two residences – one for herself and one where Allen resided. Inside Allen’s residence, agents discovered five handguns, four of which were located inside Allen’s vehicle in the garage and one on the kitchen table. Agents discovered three rifles in a spare bedroom.

Agents discovered a false return vent inside the master bedroom, which contained a suitcase. Agents opened the suitcase and discovered inside two bundles, each containing approximately one pound of methamphetamine, a total of 900 grams.  Inside the suitcase, agents discovered approximately four pounds of high-grade marijuana.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randall D. Eggert, Nhan D. Nguyen and Cynthia J. Hyde. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Springfield Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).