Sioux Center, Iowa — A report of a robbery has turned into a felony arrest of the one who reported it in Sioux Center recently.
Court documents indicate that the Sioux Center Police Department arrested 25-year-old Austin Vanden Brink on Tuesday, November 27th on charges of possession of a controlled substance and failure to affix a drug tax stamp, both class D felonies.
The arresting officer’s statement says that Vanden Brink reported to police that he was the victim of a robbery at knifepoint. The officer says that when he spoke to Vanden Brink, there was a very strong odor of burnt marijuana coming from his person. The officer’s report says Vanden Brink’s car was parked nearby and he acknowledged that he was in the vehicle right before he sought help. The officer says that when they looked inside the vehicle from the exterior of the car, officers could see and identify a green leafy substance, believed to be marijuana scattered around the area of the center shifter.
They report that the vehicle was seized for processing of the robbery scene as well as further investigation of the alleged possession of illegal substances. A search warrant was obtained and cannabis was located in the trunk of the vehicle.
Vanden Brink is accused of the unlawful distribution, possession and/or offer of sale of 542 grams of marijuana, for which he also did not have a drug tax stamp.
