Domestic assault call leads officers to meth, paraphernalia


Nicholas Keeling

A warrant with a $2,500 cash-only bond has been issued for the arrest of 28-year-old Nicholas James Keeling of Gainesville in connection with a case in which he’s charged with possessing methamphetamine. 

Public defender Lauren Kate Welborn entered her appearance as Keeling’s attorney.

If convicted of the class D felony charge, Keeling could face up to four years in prison. 

According to the probable cause statement prepared by Ozark County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeffrey Lane, officers were dispatched to a residence at 253 Cedar Oak Drive in Gainesville at 3:02 a.m. Friday, Aug. 21, in response to a report of a domestic assault in progress.

Lane and Deputy Seth Miller responded to the residence and spoke with the alleged victim. The officers checked the woman for injuries, but she told them she was uninjured and didn’t want to press charges for the assault. 

While Lane continued to discuss the incident with the victim, Miller spoke with the individual who had called the sheriff’s office to report the assault. When Lane asked the victim if she knew where Keeling had gone after the call was made, she reportedly told the officer he was hiding in the back bedroom of the home. 

After the victim gave the officers permission to enter the residence to arrest the suspect, they found Keeling in the back bedroom. Lane and Miller placed Keeling in restraints and informed him that he was being arrested on an active warrant in an unrelated case out of Greene County. Keeling had pleaded guilty to resisting arrest in August 2019 in that case, and a probation violation was filed Sept. 2, resulting in the warrant being issued. 

When Lane asked Keeling if he had anything in his pocket before he searched him, Keeling reportedly told the officer he did not have anything. But during the search, Lane found a syringe in Keeling’s pocket, the report says. Keeling reportedly told the officer he’d forgot it was there. 

As the officers were walking out of the home, they also spotted two glass smoking devices in plain view on a table.

The woman gave the officers permission to search the home, and they reportedly found multiple additional items of drug paraphernalia and illegal substances. Keeling told the officers it was all his, the report says. A field test of the items revealed a positive result for methamphetamine. 

All the items were bagged and taken as evidence. 

Ozark County Times

504 Third Steet
PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
Fax: (417) 679-3423