An Osage Beach alderman faces several pending felony charges after being arrested Tuesday during a drug sting in Camden County.
A probable cause statement alleges that John “Bob” Robert O’Steen arranged with an undercover officer the purchase of two “8-balls” of cocaine weighing a combined seven grams for $500 to be delivered to his residence in Osage Beach.
The transaction took place in O’Steen’s driveway and he was later arrested and allegedly admitted to the distribution of cocaine but denied a search of his residence.
Guns and evidence collected during search of the home
A subsequent search warrant was executed at the residence uncovering the cocaine, various pills and at least nine different firearms…some of the items in a kitchen cabinet next to his city credentials and badge.
O’Steen is described in the probable cause statement as an “armed drug dealer and a danger to the same community he swore to serve.”
As of late Wednesday afternoon, the warrant was not verified as officially filed but online court records indicate O’Steen is expected to be formally charged with one count each of Delivery of a Controlled Substance and Unlawful Use of a Weapon for possessing a weapon while at the same time possessing a controlled substance, and two counts of possessing a controlled substance.
O’Steen was being held in the Camden County Jail.
Release:
Camdenton, MO – 05-13-26 – Sheriff Chris Edgar confirms the arrest of an Osage Beach City Alderman during an undercover narcotics operation.
On Tuesday, 05-12-26, at approximately 1600 hours, CCSO deputies and Task Force Officers from the Mid-MO Drug Task Force, the MUSTANG Drug Task Force, and officers from the Osage Beach Police Department conducted a joint operation. Deputies received information earlier this month implicating Osage Beach Alderman John Robert “Bob” O’Steen in an ongoing drug operation.
Deputies and TFOs coordinated to set up a controlled buy inside the city limits of Osage Beach. During the operation O’Steen purchased two “eight balls” of cocaine from an undercover TFO while the arrest team monitored the buy. As soon as the buy was complete the arrest team took O’Steen into custody without incident. TFOs and deputies later executed a search warrant at O’Steen’s Osage Beach residence and seized additional cocaine and drug paraphernalia, several controlled substance pills, and nine firearms.
60-year-old John Robert O’Steen, of Osage Beach, was arrested and transported to the Camden County Adult Detention Facility where he was charged with the Class C Felony of Delivery of a Controlled Substance, two counts of the Class D Felony of Possession of a Controlled Substance, and one count of the Class E Felony of Unlawful Use of a Weapon. He is being held on a $250,000 bond.
We would like to extend our thanks to our colleagues at the Osage Beach Police Department and the MUSTANG Drug Task Force for their assistance in this investigation. If you are a concerned citizen and have information regarding the sale or possession of illegal or dangerous drugs, we encourage you to contact the Camden County Sheriff’s Office. Working together, we can help stop the spread of these dangerous substances and protect our community regardless of the social standing of the offenders.
A reminder that these charges are merely allegations of wrongdoing. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
