Former Joplin House candidate released on bond amid drug conspiracy charge
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Former Joplin State House candidate Thomas Ross has been released on bond as he awaits further proceedings in a federal drug conspiracy case.
A federal judge ordered Ross released Monday following a detention hearing in Springfield.
Ross had been in custody since his Sept. 2 arrest.
The hearing had previously been delayed after Ross hired private attorneys with the Springfield law firm Wampler & Passanise.
Federal prosecutors have charged Ross with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Authorities allege Ross gave his former campaign manager cocaine and Adderall and directed him to plant the drugs in the purse or vehicle of Louise Secker, who was running against him in the Republican primary for Missouri House District 161.
Ross later withdrew from the race. Secker was selected to replace him as the Republican nominee for the district.
Additional details on his bond conditions and next court appearance have not yet been publicly released.
