Robert P. Kowanko sentenced to serve 30 years in the DOC for trafficking in narcotics
Photo graphic courtesy of State Attorney's Office, Fifth Judicial Circuit
Office of the State Attorney
Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida
Marion, Lake, Citrus, Sumter and Hernando counties
Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida
Marion, Lake, Citrus, Sumter and Hernando counties
May 1, 2025
Citrus County, Florida - On April 30, 2025, 50 year-old Robert Paul Kowanko of Port Charlotte, Florida was sentenced to serve 30 years in the Florida Department of Corrections after being found guilty by a jury on March 10, 2025 on charges of trafficking in methamphetamine, trafficking in cocaine, unlawful use of a two-way communications device, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Kowanko was arrested in September 2023 after an investigation by the Citrus County Sheriff's Office Special Investigations Unit. The unit uncovered Kowanko/s involvement in the sale of large quantities of methamphetamine within Citrus County. Following a controlled buy of narcotics, deputies approached Kowanko and his co-defendant, Sean Thomas Joyce, then 37 years-old, also of Port Charlotte, as they were exiting a wooded area near U.S. Highway 19 in Crystal River, Florida.
Law enforcement personnel detained Kowanko and Joyce and searched their vehicle, finding a clear plastic baggie that contained a white powder, a digital scale, and hypodermic needles. Kowanko was in possession of another baggie that contained a similar substance, and Joyce was in possession of other narcotics. Field tests confirmed the substances as fentanyl and methamphetamine. After being read his Miranda rights, Kowanko later admitted to selling the drugs
Earlier this year, Kowanko's co-defendant Joyce pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The outcome of this case was due to the efforts of the Citrus County Sheriff's Office and Assistant State Attorneys Kaitlyn Mannis and Kevin Davis.