JOSHUA L. PAHL (d/o/b: 3-15-1989) of Springfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty on Thursday, May 15, 2014, to the class B felony of attempted manufacture of a controlled substance, the class C felony of possession of chemicals with intent to manufacture a controlled substance, and a class D felony of possession of drug paraphernalia. Pahl was sentenced to seven (7) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections by Circuit Judge Mark E. Orr, pursuant to a plea agreement with the Taney County Prosecutor’s Office.

Pahl was on parole from a prison sentence when he was driving a Ford Taurus stopped by Branson Police on suspicion of failing to pay for fuel from a Casey’s store, on July 7, 2013. Once contacted, Pahl and his passenger were identified by the Casey’s personnel and arrested. The automobile was registered to someone other than Pahl and his passenger, so an inventory search was conducted by Branson Police in preparation for the car to be towed from the roadside. During the inventory search, a large amount of suspected methamphetamine was discovered in the center console of the car, along with a mobile meth lab in the trunk. The substances were tested by the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Lab and found to, in fact, be methamphetamine.