Inmate captured after being mistakenly released, deputies say
By Zach Rainey
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BUNCOMBE COUNTY, North Carolina (WYFF) — An inmate in Buncombe County, North Carolina, has been captured after he was mistakenly released, according to the sheriff.
On Thursday, Joseph Shustek was mistakenly released from the Buncombe County Detention Facility.
Authorities said Shustek had been found guilty of assaulting a woman on Sept. 11, 2024, and was found guilty of assault with a deadly weapon on Sept. 18, 2025.
On Friday, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office announced Shustek’s capture.
The sheriff’s office released the following statement along with the release:
“On behalf of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, we want to extend our sincerest and most profound apology for the erroneous release of inmate Joseph Shustek on October 2nd, 2025.
“This was a serious institutional failure, and we take full responsibility for this procedural error. We understand that this mistake has caused fear and distress for the community, and particularly for the victim(s) of this individual. There are no words that can adequately express our regret for the pain this has caused. The systems in place to prevent such an event failed, and for that, we are truly sorry.
“Our Sheriff’s Office dedicated every available resource to re-apprehend Joseph Shustek and can say that he is now back in the custody of the Sheriff. We are in the process of thoroughly reviewing the procedures that led to this failure and are implementing immediate changes to ensure it never happens again. We would like to thank the District Attorney’s Office for promptly notifying us of the erroneous release and for communicating with the most recent victim to address their immediate safety concerns.”
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