MARIES COUNTY — Sheriff Mark Morgan responded April 21 in a post on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, denying the allegations that he planted illicit drugs to discover evidence during a narcotics-related search warrant on June 4, 2025.

This was one of two different properties on Highway HH that the law enforcement entered that night. The sheriff received information from a confidential informant on a drug task force that led to obtaining the warrant, but Morgan declined to share any specifics about what that probable cause was.

The Sheriff’s post includes two clips of body cam footage of Sargeant Ryan Ervin and Deputy Justin Fletcher, providing more context to security camera footage released by the Facebook account MOFreePress.

“There’s people out there that just don’t like law enforcement, no matter what we do, and that’s fine. That’s how it’s always been. It’s how it’s always going to be,” Morgan said. “The evidence speaks for itself in my opinion.”

MOFreePress’ footage shows Belle Police Officer Erican Sugg and another officer, whose face is not shown. The second officer reaches off screen and then tosses a small bag into a nearby chair.

The anonymous source, who gave the video to MOFreePress, claimed that Morgan is the unknown officer and that he planted the drugs into the chair. But Morgan said that he was outside as a monitor and to interact with nearby residents; he identified the second officer as Ervin. Vienna Police Chief Shannon Thompson and Lieutenant Roger Wilt were outside with Morgan.

Morgan called in the Vienna and Belle police departments for mutual aid during these searches.

In the body cam footage from Morgan’s post, Fletcher brings the small bag into the living room and presents it to Ervin, who identifies it as dab wax, which is a marijuana concentrate. Sugg, across the room, suggests formally seizing it as potential evidence and charging the person with the intent to distribute. Morgan said that the dab wax was only briefly placed on the chair.

The officers also found drug paraphernalia and a crystal-like substance. After testing showed that the dab wax and the crystal-like substance did not contain any controlled substances, the criminal charges were dismissed.

Even though marijuana is legal in Missouri, the officers seized the evidence because they had probable cause of controlled drugs like methamphetamine. They did not know for sure if any such substances were present until the dab wax was tested.

According to Morgan, he is committed to transparency and performing operations ethically.

“We’re here to serve, and we’re going to do everything within the confines of the law,” Morgan said.

Morgan would have preferred if MOFreePress had fact checked the footage before accusing him of planting evidence. He said that they did not reach out to him for comment, and if they had, he would have happily explained the situation.

“I like for investigative journalists to ask these questions,” he said. “Look into these matters. Don’t just print something one sided like that because it confuses a lot of people, and it misdirects.”