Man arrested in Sept. 9 meth bust

Corey Smith, 38, of Gainesville, bonded out of the Ozark County Jail on Sept. 24 after spending a little more than two weeks in custody following his arrest in connection with a Sept. 9 methamphetamine bust, officers say.

According to a probable cause statement prepared by Ozark County Deputy Josh Sherman, the Ozark County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Enforcement Team executed a search warrant at Smith’s home in Gainesville at 6:45 a.m. Sept. 9. 

Smith and another man, who was also arrested but not named in the document, were inside the residence at the time of the search warrant execution, along with three children, the report says. A Facebook post made by the Ozark County Sheriff’s Department indicates that Charles Worthem was the second man arrested that night. 

During the search, deputies reportedly found an orange pill bottle in Smith’s vehicle that field-tested positive for methamphetamine. In Smith’s bedroom, officers say they seized a blue glass smoking device and two clear smoking devices, all of which also tested positive for meth. A Motorola cell phone was also taken into evidence.

In what is described as subject #2’s bedroom, assumedly belonging to Worthem, deputies reported finding multiple glass smoking devices and a black digital scale, all testing positive for meth. One of the pipes contained a clear liquid, the report says. Officers also seized a Samsung cell phone and a 9mm SAR Arms pistol with a holster. 

Inside a gun safe in the Worthem’s bedroom, officers report to have found an orange pill bottle with 27 Oxycodone pills (with someone else’s name on the prescription), several items that field-tested positive for meth and with a white crystal substance on/in them, along with 10 firearms. The report also noted what Sherman describes as “deplorable” living conditions inside the home. As a mandated reporter, the deputy said he was obligated to contact the Missouri Children’s Division hotline about the conditions. 

Smith is charged with possession of methamphetamine as a prior drug offender, based on the fact that he’s been convicted of another drug-related felony. The complaint says Smith was found guilty of delivery of methamphetamine in Howell County for an incident occurring Sept. 6, 2024. He was also on probation when the recent search warrant was executed, according to OCSD.

There is not yet a publicly-viewable case in Missouri’s online court database for Worthem related to the results of the search warrant; however, it may be filed in the future or it may not be viewable to the public yet for a variety of reasons.   If it is filed as a felony case in the future, the Times will include an article.