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St. Johns County inmate accused of plotting against witness faces two new charges
Dustin Furnal, jailed on multiple felony drug and weapons charges, is now accused of soliciting a murder and tampering with a first-degree felony proceeding. Investigators say recorded jail calls and visitation conversations helped uncover the alleged plot against a witness expected to testify in his case.
A St. Johns County inmate facing a range of felony charges has been charged with allegedly trying to arrange the killing of a witness in his pending case, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.
Dustin Furnal, 42, was charged with solicitation to commit murder and tampering in a first-degree felony proceeding, the sheriff’s office said Wednesday, Oct. 21. Detectives allege Furnal communicated with another person about arranging the death of someone scheduled to testify against him.
Investigators said they uncovered the alleged plan by reviewing hours of recorded jail calls, visitation recordings and conversations between Furnal and the other person. The sheriff’s office has not identified the witness or the other individual in its public account.
Furnal has been held at the St. Johns County Jail since June 2026 on earlier felony charges, including trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine, conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine, evidence tampering and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He also faces charges involving cocaine, a controlled substance without a prescription, drug paraphernalia and allegedly using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.
A judge revoked Furnal’s bond Oct. 17, and he remains jailed without bond. He is scheduled to return to court Nov. 4.
The new allegations have not been proven in court.