JUNEAU POLICE DEPARTMENT
6255 ALAWAY AVENUE JUNEAU, ALASKA 99801
Business (907) 586-0600
Fax (907) 463-4808
Integrity, Courage, Service, Respect
INFORMATION RELEASE
Date: 2022-02-11
From: Lieutenant Krag Campbell
Case or Incident: #220208-007
On February 8th, 2022, at about 4:30p.m., members of the SEACAD Taskforce contacted 40-year-old Arizona resident Sunyata Shanks at the Juneau International Airport. Shanks had recently flown into Juneau and was suspected of being in possession of illegal narcotics. During the investigation, Shanks was found to be in possession of 190.43 grams of counterfeit oxycodone pills, believed to contain fentanyl and 62.98 grams of methamphetamine. Shanks was arrested and taken to the Lemon Creek Correction Center. She was charged with one count of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the 2nd degree, a class A felony and one count of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the 3rd degree, a class B felony.
The estimated street value of the seized narcotics is about $57,000 for the counterfeit oxycodone pills and about $7,560 for the methamphetamine.
SEACAD, Southeast Alaska Cities against Drugs, is a regional taskforce comprised of municipal police departments from Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, Haines, Skagway, Petersburg, Hoonah, Wrangel, Craig and Yakutat, the Alaska State Troopers, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Coast Guard Investigative Service. Together, they work to investigate drug importation and distribution in the Southeast Alaska region.
All factual allegations contained in this release are based upon preliminary investigation and are subject to change or clarification as the investigation continues. Any charges reported in this release are merely accusations and all persons named in this release are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.