New allegations: Carl Junction businesswoman passed bad checks, failed to pay for utilities

Carl Junction businesswoman Lauren Ann Zallar was already awaiting trial in Jasper County Circuit Court on drug trafficking and driving while intoxicated charges and as of today, she is charged with another felony.

Following an investigation by the Joplin Police Department, the Jasper County Prosecuting attorney's office charged Zallar with passing a bad check. Her initial appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. April 10.

The charge came only five days after the city of Carl Junction cited Zallar for her failure to pay a $697.88 utility bill.

Zallar, the former owner of E & P Wireless, allegedly wrote the bad checks on her business' closed bank account, according to the probable cause statement:

On 01/11/2024, a report was made with the Joplin Police Department in reference to checks being deposited on a closed from a closed account at a business located in the City of Joplin, Jasper County Missouri. 

RP advised that on 12/07/2023 Zallar deposited a check in the amount of $400.00 at an ATM at 4th/ ST. Louis Ave at 1647 hours. Zallar then deposited 2 other checks from a closed account on the following dates. 12/08/2023 at 2129 hours in the amount of $ 500.00 and then again on 12/11/2023 at 0015 hours in the amount of $ 500.00. 

The RP advised that Zallar had written all the checks to herself from an account that she had at US Bank that had been closed. The RP advised that Zallar had transferred the money to herself through CashApp before the checks were returned advising that the account was closed. 

Video surveillance footage was provided that showed Zallar arriving in a white GMC SUV that was registered to her on the above dates. Zallar then makes the deposited before leaving. Zallar was identified by reviewing photographs of her Missouri OLN photo. Contact with Zallar was made by the RP in reference to the bad checks and Zallar was uncooperative. I also attempted contact with Zallar but was unsuccessful.

A pre-trial conference is scheduled for 9 a.m. April 11 in Jasper County Circuit Court on the DWI and drug trafficking charges.

The Carl Junction Police Department arrested Zallar following a January 11 traffic stop on Copper Oaks.

From the probable cause statement:

On January 11th, 2023 at about O120 hours while on patrol I observed a silver SUV leave the lane of travel and go into the oncoming traffic lane while southbound in the 500 block of Copper Oaks. I conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle in the 600 block of Copper Oaks and identified the driver as Zallar, Lauren.

Upon making contact with Zallar, I noticed her speech was slurred and she seemed to have difficulty answering simple questions. Zallar denied using any alcohol or illegal substances. Zallar gave me consent to search the vehicle.

Inside the center console, I located two clear bags filled with a white powdery substance that with my training and experience I believed to be fentanyl. I also located a pill bottle with a worn-off label containing 45 blue pills with "M" marked on one side and "30" on the other.

A quick search of drugs.com indicated the pills were Oxycodone.

A second article populated showing an example of a counterfeit Oxycodone that was actually fentanyl. I compared the two images with the pills in question. The pills matched the counterfeit picture.

Also located were 5 $1 dollar bills with a white powdery substance, one blue cap with a white substance, and one red straw with a white residue inside of it. The two bags weighed in at a combined weight of 13.2 grams.

Part of one of the blue pills was field tested for Oxycodone and the test indicated no presence of Oxycodone. Zaller was taken into custody for the located items and for driving while impaired. A DRE (drug recognition expert) was contacted and met with Zallar. The DRE conducted an evaluation on Zallar and the results indicated that Zallar was under the influence.