The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO

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October 10, 2007

Joplin man to be tried on identity-theft, meth charges

By Jeff Lehr

jlehr@joplinglobe.com

A Joplin man facing charges of intent to manufacture methamphetamine, trafficking in stolen identities and robbery was ordered bound over for trial on the first two of those felony counts after a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Jasper County Circuit Court in Joplin.

At the conclusion of testimony at the hearing, Associate Judge Richard Copeland found probable cause to order David D. Tipton, 32, 1905 Campbell Parkway, bound over for trial on charges of possession of chemicals and equipment with intent to manufacture meth and trafficking in stolen identities. Tipton was ordered to make his first appearance Oct. 22 in a trial division of the court on those two charges.

Deputy Brandy Richardson of the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department testified that she responded on the afternoon of April 24 to a report of suspicious people walking along the road near Seventh Street and Black Cat Road, west of Joplin.

Richardson said she stopped and questioned three people, one of whom was Tipton. She said he had the ingredients for meth in his possession.

Officer Homer Knisley of the Joplin Police Department was called to testify about a traffic stop he made May 13 near St. Louis Avenue and Valley Street in Joplin. Knisley said he stopped a car for having incorrect tags. Tipton, the driver, was arrested when he could not produce a driver’s license.

Knisley testified that during a search of the vehicle, he found a wallet under the driver’s seat containing four other people’s identification cards, and two checks, two Social Security cards, two credit cards and an electronic benefits card belonging to other people.

A probable-cause affidavit made out by Knisley also states that Tipton provided him with a false name in an effort to avoid being taken to jail on an outstanding warrant.

Tipton is scheduled to have another preliminary hearing Nov. 7 on a second-degree robbery charge. In that case, he is accused of robbing Verlin Wallis with a male accomplice, Matthew Childs, on May 4 at Wallis’ apartment in Carthage.

Tipton and Childs allegedly were waiting for Wallis inside his apartment and demanded money from him when he entered. When he refused to give them any, they allegedly threw him to the floor, held him down and went through his pockets, stealing $300 in $100 bills he had received from cashing his disability check, according to a probable-cause affidavit filed by Carthage police.

The affidavit states that Wallis had mentioned to the defendants outside his apartment earlier in the day that he had cashed his check.





Black bag



Deputy Brandy Richardson testified that a black bag that David Tipton was carrying on April 24 contained red phosphorus, iodine, an acid, some tubing and “a pill pull.” Those chemicals commonly are used to manufacture meth, according to a probable-cause affidavit.

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