Reported wallet theft leads to meth charges for Wasola man
Last week, after a gas station employee recognized a man captured on surveillance video taking a customer’s wallet, Ozark County deputies tracked down the suspect, leading to an arrest, an alleged confession and the discovery of suspected methamphetamine during a search of his home.
Donald “Donnie” Free, 66, of Woodpecker Lane in Wasola, is charged with possession of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to use and felony driving while his license was suspended or revoked.
He was arrested on a $3,000 cash-only bond on Saturday, June 20 and was arraigned Monday. He was scheduled to appear before Associate Judge Raymond Gross at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, for a bond reduction hearing. Details of that hearing were not yet available at presstime Tuesday morning.
According to the probable cause statement, prepared by Ozark County Deputy Gannan Moss, his co-worker Deputy Hunter Ryan took a report of a theft at the Phillips 66 gas station in Gainesville on June 15, 2026.
“After reviewing security camera footage, a male suspect with long white hair, a white beard, a camouflage-pattern hat and glasses was observed removing a wallet from the countertop. The gas station employee stated he recognized the suspect and knew him as ‘Donnie’ from previous pizza orders. The same suspect was later seen on footage entering a black Cadillac and leaving the parking lot,” Deputy Moss’s report says.
Four days later, when Deputy Moss was conducting uniform patrol June 19, he located a vehicle matching the description from the Phillips 66 store theft and made contact with the individuals. The driver was sitting inside the vehicle, the report says, and avoided making eye contact with the officer; however, Deputy Moss noticed that the driver’s appearance matched the physical description of the man shown taking the wallet at the gas station.
“I knocked on the driver’s window. He opened the door, and I asked if his name was Donnie. He confirmed that it was. He was later positively identified as Donald Free through a paper ID he provided. A records check revealed that Donald Free has a suspended driver’s license. I placed Free under arrest and transported him to the Ozark County Sheriff’s Department,” Deputy Moss wrote. “Once at the jail, Free was read his Miranda rights and interviewed by Lieutenant Matt Rhoades. During the interview, Free admitted to taking the wallet from the countertop at the Phillips 66 gas station. He further stated that he had already spent the money that was inside the wallet. Free also stated that the wallet might still be inside the jeans he was wearing, which would be located inside his bedroom.”
A search warrant was issued and executed at Free’s home later that day. During the search, officers reportedly found several illegal narcotics and paraphernalia items including glass pipes, syringes, scales and other items, all which field-tested positive for methamphetamine. Also found with those items were multiple firearms and identifying mail with Free’s information on it, the report says.
Free is charged as a prior and persistent offender due to his criminal history that includes at least three previous felony convictions. Court records show he was found guilty of damage to jail property in Lawrence County for an October 2003 offense, driving while intoxicated with alcohol (persistent offender in Lawrence County for a December 2003 incident and burglary in Christian County for a November 2023 incident.