Officers find meth in coat of Gainesville man

Alexander J. Olson, born in 1982, of Gainesville, is charged in Ozark County with possession of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of an illegal weapon. 

According to the probable cause statement, prepared by Sheriff Cass Martin, at 10:25 a.m. March 27, he escorted members of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department to the trailer park across from Miller’s Kountry Store in Tecumseh. 

The officers with DCSD told the sheriff that they they’d received information that Olson and others were responsible for a string of burglaries in Douglas County. The officers said he had security video footage of a vehicle that matched Olson’s vehicle. 

The officers arrived at trailer four at the park and made their way to the front door where a woman came out and asked who the officers were looking for. The sheriff said he was looking for Olson, and the woman said he was inside laying down in the kids’ room and was asleep. She said the officers could go in. 

Douglas County Deputy Aaron Box entered the residence and made their way to the room, where Olson was asleep on the child’s bed. Box woke him up, detained him and informed him that he would be coming with them to Douglas County Jail. 

The deputy asked Olson if he had anything on his person he should know about, and he said he did have a pair of brass knuckles in his pocket. The officer reached into his pocket and seized the illegal weapon. 

Deputy Box asked Olson if he wanted to take his bag or coat with him, and Olson reportedly said no. Deputy Box told Olson he would be taking his personal items with him to the Douglas County Jail. When DCSD Deputy James Nelson grabbed Olson’s coat, he located a black satchel in the front right pocket of the coat, which had a glass bubble, a glass straw and a baggie containing a white crystal substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine. 

Nelson handed the drugs to the sheriff. Olson was advised the drugs were located in his coat. He seized the bag and the coat and seized Olson’s vehicle too.

A $3,000 cash-only bond has been issued for his arrest. Public defender Chase Opolka has filed his entry of appearance as his attorney.