A West Plains man is facing multiple felony charges after police say he forced his way into a laundromat office and stole nearly $900 in change. According to a probable cause statement filed in Howell County, officers were called to Wash Board Laundry on Porter Wagoner Drive on August 18 after the business owner discovered that “all of the quarters inside the office were no longer there,” estimating the loss at about $2,000.
Security footage showed an older white male entering the locked office around 10:37 a.m. and leaving two minutes later carrying a five‑gallon bucket with a paper sign placed on top to hide the contents. Police identified the suspect as Jonathan Dwayne McKee based on prior encounters and a booking photo.
Additional footage from earlier that morning showed McKee and a woman attempting to access the office. The woman was unable to open the door, but McKee approached holding “a fixed blade knife… in his left hand and a sheath… in his right hand,” then used the knife to forcibly pry the door open. Damage to the door frame was estimated at $500.
The stolen bucket was later recovered by the Missouri State Highway Patrol from a vehicle occupied by a witness. Inside was a smaller bucket containing $897.50 in quarters and additional coins totaling $899.48, along with the paper sign used to conceal the theft.
McKee is charged with first‑degree burglary, stealing $750 or more, and second‑degree property damage.
