Clarksburg man charged out of Cooper, Moniteau County after stolen vehicle investigation; stolen guns recovered

CLARKSBURG, Mo. (KMIZ)

A stolen vehicle investigation in Cooper County leads to an arrest and charges in Cooper and Moniteau County.

On Friday, the Moniteau County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by deputies with the Cooper County Sheriff’s Office about a report of a stolen truck overnight but also they found an abandoned vehicle registered to Daniel Purnell out of Clarksburg.

Deputies from Cooper County report three shotguns were inside the stolen truck at the time of the theft.

Deputies in Moniteau County then searched the Clarksburg area and located the stolen truck but report the guns and other items were missing.

Moniteau County Sheriff’s deputies then went to Purnell residence located in Clarksburg. Purnell eventually gave consent to a search of the residence, according to a release.

Deputies reported finding drugs and the stolen guns hidden behind false walls and inside the attic.

A Moniteau County prosecutor has charged Purnell with four counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance and four counts of unlawful use of a weapon. A warrant for his arrest has been issued out of Moniteau County.

A Cooper County prosecutor has charged Purnell with three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, three counts of stealing a firearm and one count of first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle.

Purnell does not have a defense attorney listed out of Cooper or Moniteau County.

Purnell is currently being held in the Cooper County Jail on a $10,000 cash-only bond.