Bond County meth dealer sentenced to federal prison

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - A district court judge sentenced a Bond County man to 151 months' imprisonment after he sold meth and engaged in a three-hour standoff with police.

Johnathan Joiner, 46, of Greenville, pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of controlled substance: meth. Following imprisonment, he will serve three years of supervised release.

"Not only was the defendant guilty of selling meth in Bond County, but he endangered the lives of the law enforcement personnel assigned to his arrest by engaging in a standoff," said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.

According to court documents, Joiner sold a total of 62 grams of pure meth in two law enforcement coordinated sales in July 2024. He was arrested in January 2025 following a three-hour standoff with police. Evidence at the sentencing hearing indicated that Joiner hid from law enforcement inside a self-made hiding hole.

"This sentence reflects the price criminals will pay if they put our citizens and law enforcement partners in danger," said FBI-Springfield Acting Special Agent in Charge Ruben Marchand-Morales. "The FBI remains committed to aggressively investigating and stopping criminals from bringing dangerous drugs into our communities."

The judge also ordered Joiner to pay a $5,000 fine.

The FBI Springfield Field Office and the TOC-West Task Force led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Hudson prosecuted the case.