Dora man charged with meth and non-appearance

Greg Hambelton, 53, of Dora, has had three new cases filed against him in the last three months - one for possessing methamphetamine that officers say they found when they went to his house to serve an unrelated search warrant and two others for failing to appear in court. 

A preliminary hearing was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in the drug case, in which Hambelton faces a felony charge for possession of methamphetamine and a misdemeanor for possessing drug paraphernalia when he has a previous drug conviction. 

According to the probable cause statement in that case, prepared by Ozark County Deputy Hunter Ryan, officers went to Hambelton’s residence on May 12 in an attempt to serve an active felony warrant for his arrest. 

“We noticed several windows open on the camper as well as lights on inside the camper and we could hear a TV on inside the camper,” the deputy explained. “I knocked and announced several times before Lt. [Matt] Rhoades and I made entry into the unlocked camper to attempt and locate Hambelton. Upon entering the camper, I saw in plain view a broken glass pipe with a white substance on it, as well as a mirror with a white substance on it [and]...several pills we believed to be Oxycodone (later identified as Tylenol),” Ryan’s report said. 

“Due to Hambelton not being there at that time, Lt. Rhoades began writing a search warrant on the residence when a red car pulled up into the driveway, and Hambelton was in the passenger seat of the vehicle. [He] was placed under arrest for his active felony warrant and transported to the Ozark County Jail. 

“Lt. Rhoades finished writing the search warrant of the residence and sent it off to get signed. Lt. Rhoades and I waited at the residence to ensure no one went inside and tampered with any more possible evidence inside. Once the search warrant was signed and returned Lt. Rhoades and I served the search warrant on the camper.”

Hambelton’s two other newly filed cases in which he’s charged with the felony of failing to appear in court, are in reference to scheduled hearings in two other cases filed against him. 

He was supposed to appear for those hearing on June 4, but officers say he did not. In those cases, he’s charged with resisting arrest by fleeing, assault, harassment, making a terroristic threat, domestic assault, driving with a revoked license, trespassing and operating a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner.