An Ozark County man, 34-year-old Dustin Lee of the Vanzant area, could be facing up to 91 years in prison after being charged with one count of burglary and 12 counts of stealing a firearm.
The Ozark County Times reports the 13 felony charges typically carry a prison sentence of up to four years, but because Lee has been charged as a persistent offender, the charges can carry prison sentences of up to seven years each. The charging document says Lee was convicted of passing bad checks in December 2005 in Douglas County, two counts of burglary in August 2011 in Ozark County and forgery in 2011 in Wright County. If convicted of all charges and ordered to serve the sentences consecutively, Lee could face up to 91 years in prison. However, it is also possible that the sentences could run concurrently.
According to the probable cause statement in the case, Lee’s most recent charges stem from an incident on the evening of March 4th when Ozark County deputies were dispatched to a residence along Carson Lane after a burglary. The homeowners told deputies they had left for church that morning and when they returned home, they noticed several items were missing from the house, including numerous guns, a chainsaw and a laptop computer.
After noticing the items were missing, the couple checked their home security camera footage and saw a vehicle arrive at the residence five minutes after the couple left for church. Two men were seen entering the home and then returning to their vehicle carrying several items. The couple told the officer Lee, a former employee, is the only person had been to their residence in the last year.
The next day, an Ozark County deputy received a tip a vehicle driven by Lee was in the Mountain Grove area. Shortly afterward, the deputy was advised Lee had been taken into custody.
The Ozark County deputy met a Wright County deputy and Lee a short time later and searched the vehicle. A .357 magnum, reported missing the previous day, was found in the vehicles glove box.
Lee would not tell the Ozark County officer where the other missing guns were located. However, a silver pocket watch matching the description of one stolen from the Ozark County home was also found on Lee.
Teresa Schulz, who was a passenger in the vehicle when the Wright County officer stopped Lee, said the vehicle belonged to her but Lee frequently borrowed it. Schulz told the officer Lee had borrowed the vehicle March 3rd and returned it around noon March 4th.
Schulz also told the officer Lee often stayed in a storage shed on her parents property, but she said she had no knowledge he had stolen any items. Schulz gave the officers permission to search her shed, where the officers found a chainsaw, a .50-caliber muzzleloader rifle, a pellet rifle and a .243 rifle, along with drugs and drug-paraphernalia. The rifles and chainsaw all matched those reported as missing the previous day.
Additional weapons Lee is charged with stealing include a .30-30 model 94 rifle, a .243 single shot rifle, a .270 model 200 rifle, a .20-gauge over/under shotgun, a .22-caliber model 60 rifle, a .22 long model 60 rifle, a .357 magnum pistol, a semi-automatic shotgun, a model 6085 rifle and a .22-caliber semi-automatic rifle.
Lee reportedly told officers hed been using methamphetamine for several days. He had an outstanding warrant in Douglas County. He was transported to the Douglas County Jail where he is wanted on charges of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident, failure to drive on the right half of the roadway and operating a vehicle not registered.
A $20,000 cash-only bond was set for Lee.
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