Johnson faces stealing charge after vehicle purchase via Facebook

Gainesville resident Daniel Eric Johnson, born 1989, is charged with the D class felony of stealing $750 or more after allegedly refusing to fix or return money for a vehicle purchased from him.

According to a probable cause statement filed by Ozark County Sheriff’s Lt. Matthew Rhoades, a man contacted the Ozark County Sheriff’s Department in March 2025 about a vehicle the man and his wife purchased from Johnson via Facebook Marketplace. The man said they purchased the 2010 Chevrolet Silverado in January 2025 for $6,000. 

The man said his wife traveled to Gainesville to pick up the truck. However, after completing the purchase, the vehicle allegedly broke down before the man’s wife left Gainesville. The man said he contacted Johnson who told him to return the Silverado to Johnson’s residence and Johnson promised to have the vehicle repaired.

“Upon returning the vehicle to Johnson’s residence, Johnson informed [the husband] that repairs would cost approximately $5,000,” wrote Rhoades. “[The husband] declined to have Johnson repair the vehicle.”

According to the probable cause statement, the man’s wife had left the signed title in the vehicle’s glove box and the husband was unable to provide the vehicle’s VIN number. “Johnson then demanded $5,000 to return the vehicle, which [the husband] refused, instead requesting either a refund of the $6,000 purchase price or the return of the vehicle. Johnson refused both options.”

Rhoades wrote that the husband attempted to retrieve the vehicle or recover his payment on April 15, 2025, and Johnson refused to respond to further attempts of communication. The man then requested that the OCSD inform Johnson that criminal charges would be pursued if the $6,000 was not refunded. Johnson allegedly agreed to repay the $6,000.

However, the man contacted the OCSD on April 21, 2025, and said that Johnson had sold the vehicle without his permission or his wife’s signature on the title. 

“Johnson claimed he was working on obtaining the funds to repay [the husband],” Rhoades wrote. “[The husband agreed to give Johnson additional time to provide the payment before pursuing charges.

“On June 4, 2025, [the husband] reported that Johnson had still not paid him and expressed his intent to allow Johnson a short additional period to comply before pressing charges for fraud and stealing.”

The man contacted the OCSD on Nov. 4, 2025, and told officers that Johnson was no longer responding to calls or text messages. By this time almost 10 months had passed since “Johnson’s initial promise to repay the $6,000,” wrote Rhoades. “[The buyer] confirmed that Johnson sold the vehicle without authorization...[The man is unaware of the buyer’s identity and stated that Johnson no longer possesses the vehicle.

“[The buyer] provided text messages from Facebook Marketplace documenting the transaction between himself and Johnson for the purchase of the vehicle.”

Johnson is set to next appear at 9 a.m. Jan. 20, 2025, before Judge Raymond Gross in Ozark County Associate Court. He is also ordered to do no transactions on Facebook Marketplace.