An Ozark county man who was storing guns for a friend is facing 20 charges after he denied still having the guns but a deputy found them during a search of his property. Dustin Kyle Wallace of Theodosia is also facing a charge for being over 12 months behind on his child support payments.
According to the probable cause affidavit from the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office, a friend had his home damaged in 2023 by a tornado and asked Wallace to store 30 guns and a gun safe at his residence in Willow Springs. Wallace agreed and the friend delivered the items.
Unbeknownst to the victim, Wallace moved from the rental property. The victim tried for over one year to contact Wallace through Snapchat, but was unsuccessful.
In June of this year, he was able to get in touch with Wallace’s girlfriend who said the firearms where no longer in their possession and had been left behind when they were evicted from their house. She repeatedly told the victim the guns were gone.
The victim provided the sheriff’s office with serial numbers from each of the guns along with a photo Wallace had recently posted on Snapchat that had the gun safe in the background at his current residence in Theodosia.
The victim told deputies despite what Wallace’s girlfriend had told him, he believed they still had the guns because Wallace had agreed to return the firearms contingent on storage fees.
Law enforcement contacted the landlord of the property in Willow Springs who confirmed there were no guns or gun safe left behind when Wallace and his girlfriend moved out.
A search warrant was obtained and the deputy recovered nine guns and the gun safe.
Wallace is charged with 19 felony counts of stealing a firearm and one misdemeanor count of stealing.
It was also discovered Wallace was more than 12 months behind in his child support payments. He is in arrearage a total of $8,303. For that, Wallace is facing a felony charge of criminal non-support.
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