Sarasota Man Arrested on Multiple Felony Drug Charges

NEWS RELEASE 18-027 - FEBRUARY 14, 2018
          
Stuenkel, Austin                        
Drug Buest 2-13-18     

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Sarasota man on nearly a dozen felony drug charges after he called 9-1-1 to report a false home invasion while under the influence of narcotics.

Deputies first responded to the home of Austin Stuenkel, DOB 03/15/95, around 11:00 p.m. Monday night after Stuenkel called to report people running through his home and backyard located at 3234 Yorktown Street. When deputies arrived, Stuenkel invited them inside where they noticed several narcotics and paraphernalia often used to sell narcotics, in plain view. Detectives executed a search warrant early Tuesday morning on Stuenkel’s home where they recovered several dozen pieces of evidence including 45 grams of cocaine, more than 3,000 Xanax pills, 3,800 grams of marijuana, various synthetic drugs and more prescription pills. Several miscellaneous substances were also submitted to the agency’s drug lab for further testing.
 
Stuenkel today faces 11 new charges including; Trafficking in Cocaine, four counts of Possession of a Prescription with Intent to Sell, four counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Sell, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He remains in custody today without bond. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are pending.