Founder of southern Indiana homeless nonprofit claims drug charges against him are 'bogus'

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The head of a southern Indiana nonprofit said the drug charges against him are part of a set-up.

Paul Stensrud was in court Wednesday for his initial hearing. Afterward, he was limited in what he could say but he told WDRB that this was a set-up and his life mission will continue.

For more than 15 years, Stensrud has been on a mission to feed the homeless with his nonprofit organization Jesus Cares at Exit 0 in Jeffersonville. He was arrested by police in Clarksville on Dec. 2, 2022 for allegedly dealing marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms.

"The mission does not stop because of some bogus allegation," Stensrud said.

Paul Stensrud drug arrest.jpeg — Officers search the home of Paul Stensrud on Dec. 1, 2022.

He's now on a mission to clear his name in court.

"The mission continues the way it is," he said. "This had nothing to do with the mission whatsoever."

William Perry McCall, Stensrud's attorney, entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf at the initial hearing Wednesday.

"Based on what I've looked at, preliminary and talked about with my client, seems like there was some maybe some political motivation behind all this attention that was given to Paul," McCall said.

Stensrud said that this case is a personal matter against him but his mission and ministry will continue.

"I'll tell you when this allegation first came out, if I was to get shut down let's say, we would have deaths during that negative 15, negative 20-degree weather," Stensrud said.

WDRB reached out to the Clark County Prosecutor's Office but no one was available for an interview. Stensrud is scheduled to return to court for a pre-trial hearing next month.