Traffic stop at closed Ocie gas station leads to charges

Suspicious activity at a closed gas station in Ocie late the evening of Dec. 5, 2025, led Ozark County deputies to arrest a man after allegedly discovering methamphetamine, prescription pills and drug paraphernalia during a vehicle search.

Levi Hambelton, 43, is charged with two class D felonies of possession of a controlled substance for possessing meth and Lorazepam.

According to the probable cause statement, prepared by Ozark County Deputy Gannan Moss, at 9:24 p.m. Dec. 5, the officer and fellow officer Hunter Ryan were sitting in his patrol car in the parking lot of an abandoned gas station off Highway 160 in Ocie when he observed two vehicles turn off the highway and enter the parking lot. 

“Due to the late hour and the fact that the business had been closed for extended period, I found this activity suspicious,” Moss wrote in the report. “As I approached in our patrol vehicle to make contact, one of the two vehicles immediately attempted to leave the parking lot.”

Moss activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop and to signal to the other vehicle to stay parked in the lot. 

“I contacted the driver and sole occupant of the white Chevy truck, later identified through a Missouri driver’s license as Levi Hambelton. Deputy Ryan simultaneously contacted the female occupant of the second vehicle,” Moss wrote. “When I asked Hambelton why he and the other vehicle had pulled into the closed gas station parking lot at that time of night, he was unable to provide a clear or consistent explanation, which further heightened my suspicion.

“After speaking with Deputy Ryan about his questioning and search of the second individual and her vehicle, I then specifically asked Hambelton if there was anything illegal in his vehicle, specifically illegal drugs such as methamphetamine, pills etc. He stated there was not.”

Moss requested consent to search Hambelton’s vehicle in order to verify that information, and the report says the suspect verbally consented to the search and voluntarily exited his truck. He stood with Deputy Ryan at the front of the vehicle, while Moss conducted the search. 

Moss reports that the following items were found in the vehicle:

• a syringe with needle attached containing what the officer suspected was methamphetamine residue in a personal toiletry bag in the backseat floorboard;

• a syringe with needle attached, pre-loaded with a clear liquid in the seat back pocket of the front passenger seat. The liquid reportedly field-tested positive for methamphetamine;

• an unmarked prescription pill bottle containing 102 white tablets marked consistent with Lorazepam (a benzodiazepine and schedule IV controlled substance) in the same seat back pocket;

•a single blue unidentified pill in the same seat back pocket;

• A small clear plastic baggie containing a crystal-like substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine, discovered by Deputy Hunter, in the front seat ash tray.

Hambelton was placed under arrest and transported to the Ozark County Jail where he was held on a $7,500 cash only bond until his arraignment Dec. 9. 

At that time, Associate Judge Raymond Gross allowed Hambelton to be released on his own recognizance with supervision from Court Probationary Services. Two non-compliance reports were submitted to the court on Dec. 15 and 19, and the judge issued a warrant for Hambelton to complete a 7-day shock jail sentence for the violations. 

He appeared in court Jan. 6 for a criminal setting and was arrested to complete that shock jail sentence at that time. He’s scheduled to reappear in associate court for a preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 24. 

Public defender Chase Opolka is serving as his attorney, and the state is represented by Prosecuting Attorney Lee Pipkins.