Man found with alleged crack operation in Butler apartment
According to police, probation officers found crack cocaine in various states of creation inside a Butler man’s apartment.
The Butler County Drug Task Force arrested William S. Stuteville, 32, Tuesday morning at his Ziegler Avenue apartment.
He is charged with felony counts of three counts of drug sales or manufacture and one felony count of gun possession as well as a misdemeanor count of possessing drug paraphernalia.
Following his arraignment Tuesday by District Judge Sue Haggerty, Stuteville was placed in Butler County Prison on $100,000 bond.
According to charging documents, Butler County probation officers went to the apartment after seeing two other people, both wanted, go inside. Police said they entered the apartment and arrested the two people, and then found Stuteville inside too.
“Probation officers observed suspected crack cocaine in plain view on an end table in the master bedroom of the residence,” police said.
Probation officers had also spotted a pistol grip sticking out of the end table too, and they then called in the task force to investigate further.
“Based on my training and experience, the suspected crack cocaine had just been cooked and was laying on an envelope on the table drying,” said the investigating detective in the affidavit.
Detectives said Stuteville cooperated and directed them to about four ounces of finished product, which was hidden under a dresser drawer. Detectives said Stuteville also acknowledged having heroin in the bedroom.
After receiving a warrant from District Judge William Fullerton, detectives found the 4 ounces of crack cocaine, which field tested positive, as well as 11 grams of suspected fentanyl, which was not tested due to officer safety.
Detectives also found a glass measuring cup filled with a white-colored liquid and a sludge-like substance. It also field tested positive for cocaine.
“The presence of this item shows that Cocaine HCL was being cooked in the residence to manufacture crack cocaine,” detectives said.
Detectives found other items in their search too, including a digital scale, multiple cell phones and ID for Stuteville.
They also recovered a 9mm pistol from the end table’s drawer. The gun was fully loaded with one round in the chamber, which made the gun ready to fire.
Stuteville is scheduled to appear March 28 for a preliminary hearing before District Judge William Fullerton.