Four arrested in drug bust at Udall house

According to a post made on the Ozark County Sheriff’s Department’s Facbeook page, over the course of several months, officers gathered information about frequent drug activity at Joshua Benson’s residence in Udall. The investigation led to a search warrant that was issued and executed at the residence and property.

The post says that as a result of the search, Benson and Lashanna Lambert were arrested and booked into the Ozark County Jail for possession of a methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a felon. It also said that Brian Harris and Amanda Bertolozzi were arrested for possession of meth and paraphernalia.

Although cases for Benson and Lambert are not yet visible on CaseNet, the online Missouri court system website does confirm that Bertolozzi and Harris are each charged with possession of methamphetamine and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia with amphetamine or methamphetamine. 

According to the probable cause statements in those cases, prepared by Ozark County Deputy Gannon Moss, the search warrant was executed at 8:30 p.m. Nov. 13, 2024, for “suspect 1,” who is not named in the document but thought to be Benson.

The document says that during the course of the search, a small shed/living quarters in the backyard where “suspect 3” and “suspect 4,” presumably Bertolozzi and Harris,  are known to stay was also searched. 

Officers reportedly found two digital scales inside a lockbox, a metal spoon and metal straw, each with a white, crystal-like substance on them that field-tested positive for amphetamines.  

Public Defender Chase Opolka, who represents Bertolozzi, filed a motion to dismiss the charges against her, because he says there is insufficient evidence to indicate she was involved with the drugs, as the probable cause statement only said the items were found in a place she was known to stay. As of presstime, there was not a new court date scheduled for her case. 

Rickey Farrow has filed his appearance as a special public defender for Harris. He was released from custody on Feb. 11, per a bond order. He is scheduled to return to court at 9 a.m. Feb. 11. 

If the court documents become available for cases against Benson and Lambert, the Times will include an updated article.