Carthage man to stand trial on three felony counts

A Carthage man waived preliminary hearings this week in Jasper County Circuit Court on charges of financial exploitation of an elderly person, possession of a controlled substance and possession of burglary tools.

Associate Circuit Judge Joe Hensley ordered Ferman M. Yoder, 29, bound over for trial and set initial appearances for the defendant in separate trial divisions in the financial exploitation case on July 27 and in the case involving the drug and burglary tool charges on Aug. 17.

Yoder is accused of exploiting a 67-year-old Joplin man on an agreement to build the victim a machine shop more than a year ago at an address south of Joplin in Newton County. The defendant allegedly obtained a $1,000 deposit from the victim to buy materials and subsequently tapped him for two more deposits of $1,000 and $1,800 without performing any work, according to a probable-cause affidavit.

Because the negotiations with the defendant and transfers of money took place in Carthage and Joplin, the charges were filed in Jasper County rather than Newton County, according to the affidavit.

The other case involves a traffic stop and arrest June 10 of this year near Stone's Corner north of Joplin. A Jasper County sheriff's deputy found Ferman in alleged possession of a bag containing crystal ice, or methamphetamine, two Xanax pills, a screw driver, gloves, radios, hand tools, flashlights, scope and reflective tape.

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Carthage man to stand trial on three felony counts