January 11th, 2026 Local News
St. Francois Co., Mo. (KFMO) - A Park Hills man has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies stemming from an investigation into stolen diesel fuel taken from railroad locomotives.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control (DDCC) announced the arrest of 50-year-old Donald McKinney. McKinney was taken into custody on January 8, 2026, following an investigation conducted by DDCC investigators with assistance from the Terminal Railroad Police Department of St. Louis.
According to investigators, in December 2025 authorities learned McKinney, who was employed in the railroad industry, was suspected of stealing dyed diesel fuel from locomotives operating in the St. Louis region. Surveillance was conducted, and investigators say McKinney’s movements were corroborated with confirmed thefts from locomotives in Sauget, IL.
On January 8, 2026, investigators contacted McKinney in the Leadwood area to question him about the thefts. During that encounter, authorities say McKinney resisted arrest and destroyed potential evidence. He was subsequently arrested and transported to the St. Francois County Jail, where he was held pending formal charges.
Later that same day, the St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney formally charged McKinney with receiving stolen property, a Class D felony; tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution, a Class E felony; and resisting arrest for a felony, a Class E felony.
McKinney was held in the St. Francois County Jail with bond set at $200,000.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol says the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding McKinney’s alleged theft or sale of fuel is encouraged to contact Corporal Andrew Woods with the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control at 636-300-2800.