Illegal Drugs, Gun Seized From Sarasota Home; 2 Charged: Police

SARASOTA, FL — Two men face charges after Sarasota police seized illegal drugs and a gun from their home Tuesday morning.

After complaints from residents in the area and numerous undercover drug buys, police executed a search warrant at a home in the 1300 block of 15th Street in Sarasota just after 9 a.m., according to a Sarasota Police Department news release.

In the home, investigators found:

• 377.1 grams of cocaine hidden in a divider wall
• 30.7 grams of marijuana
• 6 oxycodone pills, a schedule two controlled substance
• 5.7 grams of synthetic cannabinoids
• Taurus G2 9mm handgun with a magazine with 9mm rounds inside, also hidden in a divider wall
• $6,857 in cash

Rodney L. Austin, 42, a one-time convicted felon for trafficking in cocaine (28 to 200 grams), now faces the following charges:

• Trafficking in cocaine of more than 200 Grams
• Possession of a controlled substance (oxycodone)
• Possession of a controlled substance (synthetic cannabinoids)
• Possession of marijuana of more than 20 grams
• Possession of a firearm by a Florida convicted felon
• Possession of structure for trafficking in controlled substances

Jason L. Austin, 26, of Sarasota, was also arrested and is facing charges of violation of probation.

This case remains an active and ongoing investigation. Anyone with any information is asked to call the Sarasota Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 941-263-6070.