Austin Sukowatey is facing charges after an investigation alleged he illegally shipped prescription drugs to his home in Marquette County.
By Annie Pulley, THE BADGER PROJECT
A former deputy at the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office pleaded not guilty in mid-September to criminal charges accusing him of having prescription drugs illegally shipped to his home.
Columbia County Sheriff Roger Brandner said Sukowatey was immediately placed on paid administrative leave in February after his department learned of the search warrant on Sukowatey’s home. Brandner also said Sukowatey is no longer employed by his office.
The Marquette County District Attorney charged Sukowatey in May with one count of attempting to possess methamphetamine, a felony, and four counts of possessing and illegally obtaining prescription drugs, and one count of possessing a controlled substance, which are all misdemeanors.
A conviction for possessing methamphetamine could result in a fine of up to $10,000, confinement for up to three and a half years, or both. A conviction for possessing an illegally obtained prescription drug, for which Sukowatey faces four identical charges, could result in up to a $500 fine, confinement for up to six months, or both. And lastly, a conviction for possessing a controlled substance could result in up to a $500 fine and 30 days in jail.
Sukowatey, 35, pleaded not guilty to all six charges at a Sept. 16 arraignment.
It is common for defendants to plead not guilty at the beginning of a case to set a negotiating position for a potential plea deal.
One of Sukowatey’s defense attorneys told The Badger Project he was not authorized to speak to the press about the case. The other defense attorney listed in Sukowatey’s case did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
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DONATESukowatey, who lives in Marquette County, had previously worked as a deputy for the Marquette County Sheriff’s Office, that department said. He left that agency in November 2024 to take a position at the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. Prior to Marquette County, he also worked for the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation began after U.S. Postal Service inspectors flagged Sukowatey’s use of cryptocurrency to pay for packages delivered to his home in Montello, Wisconsin, according to the criminal complaint filed in May 2026. Sukowatey had received 14 parcels since April 2025, the complaint alleged.
Cryptocurrency is a common way to pay for narcotics bought through the dark web and shipped through the U.S. Postal Service, which is why Sukowatey’s purchases were scrutinized, the complaint states.
One package delivered to Sukowatey had the same return address as a package seized in Montana that contained steroids and methamphetamine, according to the complaint.
With a warrant, postal inspectors on Feb. 24, 2026, searched one of the packages sent to Sukowatey. They found several Adderall pills that tested positive for methamphetamine, the complaint states. A few days later, the inspectors delivered a package to Sukowatey. Sukowatey told the inspector to leave the package on his front porch. They surveilled him until he took it into his garage in the afternoon.
On the same day, inspectors confronted Sukowatey and searched his home, finding “suspected steroids, estrogen blockers and Viagra,” the complaint said.
When questioned, Sukowatey confirmed he recently filled a prescription for Adderall. He also admitted to previously taking testosterone he bought online, but he said he stopped using it years ago, though a lot remained in his home, according to the complaint.
Inspectors asked Sukowatey why he ordered generic Adderall if he had a prescription, and he told them his prescription isn’t always filled in time and doesn’t always work like it should when he does take it. Sukowatey said he “wasn’t trying to abuse it,” the complaint reads.
Sukowatey told investigators about one batch he received that made him feel terrible, according to the complaint. He described feeling hot and like his body was melting. He threw it out but eventually ordered another. The inspectors showed him the positive test results for methamphetamine, implying in the complaint that that’s why he felt so poorly after taking them.
“Inspector Kinckley asked Austin if it ever occurred to him that the stuff in these pills may not be what it is supposed to be,” the complaint reads. “Austin said it did last time and he feels stupid for ordering again because he would have thought he learned from it.”
The site Sukowatey ordered the prescriptions from described itself as the “black vault,” the complaint says.
He denied knowing the pills contained methamphetamine. A message board website on Sukowatey’s phone did show conversations with online users discussing how a particular drug can result in positive tests for methamphetamine. The stimulant they were discussing has been used as a designer drug.
Other chats on that instant messaging platform show Sukowatey describing how he was afraid to bring one of his packages inside after it was delivered. The conversation indicates, according to the complaint, that Sukowatey was aware of the legal implications of ordering these products.
Sukowatey signed a $500 signature bond in August.
A signature bond is a promise to show up to court on time and comply with the conditions of the defendant’s release. In exchange, the defendant doesn’t have to pay any cash upfront.
Sukowatey is next expected in court Nov. 9.
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