Davane Jones

A Texas fugitive in Butler pleaded guilty to a felony drug charge during a court appearance Thursday, allowing him to be extradited to his home state where he faces a parole violation.

Davane Jones, 30, was sentenced to 1 year and 8 months to 3 years and 4 months in state prison for a felony charge of criminal conspiracy to manufacture or possess drugs with intent to deliver.

Police arrested Jones on March 30 during a drug raid at 30-year-old Erika E. Ringler’s apartment in the Old Plank Estates complex in Butler Township. Ringler is in Butler County Prison on $50,000 bail and faces two counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and conspiracy, all felonies. She also is charged with misdemeanor possession.

Jones and Ringler’s arrests were the result of a several-months-long investigation by the Butler County Drug Task Force. The raid on the apartment began with a flashbang-type grenade, according to previous Butler Eagle reports, and police found the two in the apartment. A search turned up 26.49 grams, or nearly an ounce, of suspected crack, 34 stamp bags of suspected heroin and $3,645 in currency, according to court documents.

Also seized were scales, drug packaging materials, syringes and other related contraband, and a .25-caliber pistol.

Authorities said a check of the National Crime Information Center database found that Jones was wanted in Texas for a parole violation stemming from an aggravated robbery case there. They believe that Jones had been living at a motel in the county before being arrested.