CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. – Robert Paul Kowanko, 50, will spend the next 30 years in the Florida Department of Corrections after being sentenced this week for trafficking illicit narcotics. A jury found Kowanko guilty in March following his arrest in September 2023.
The charges against Kowanko included Trafficking in Methamphetamine, Trafficking in Cocaine, Unlawful Use of a Two-way Communications Device, and Possession of Paraphernalia.
His arrest followed an investigation by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit (SIU) into his involvement in the distribution of significant amounts of methamphetamine within Citrus County.
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The investigation culminated in a controlled buy, after which law enforcement officers approached Kowanko and his co-defendant, Sean Thomas Joyce, as they exited a wooded area near US 19 in Crystal River.
Upon detaining both men and searching their vehicle, officers discovered a clear baggie containing a white powder, along with a digital scale and hypodermic needles.
Kowanko was found to be in possession of an additional baggie containing a similar substance, while Joyce was also found with narcotics. Subsequent field tests confirmed the substances to be fentanyl and methamphetamine. After being advised of his Miranda rights, Kowanko reportedly admitted to selling the drugs.
Kowanko’s co-defendant, Sean Thomas Joyce, had previously pleaded guilty earlier this year and received a 10-year prison sentence.
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