Inmate at prison found with crack cocaine, detectives said
An inmate at Butler County Prison is facing charges after he was found in possession of crack cocaine last week.
Anthony M. Otlano, 38, of Library, was charged Monday, Jan. 23, with two counts of felony contraband after a correctional officer found suspected narcotics in his cell Jan. 16.
Court documents showed Otlano was initially arrested Jan. 14 by Cranberry Township police in relation to an alleged $499 theft at Best Buy. He was processed and placed in Butler County Prison in lieu of $50,000 that day.
On Jan. 16, county detectives said a correctional officer was directing a nurse to Otlano’s cell to provide him medication. The officer said he entered the cell after viewing an unknown substance on the floor, documents showed.
Otlano was found under a blanket on the bottom bunk of the cell and did not respond to the correctional officer’s commands, detectives said.
The blanket was removed, and a plastic bag and pieces of toilet paper were sticking out of Otlano’s shirt pocket, documents showed.
The correctional officer discovered the bag contained suspected crack cocaine, according to documents. Both Otlano and his cellmate were searched and no other contraband was found, detectives said.
Otlano was placed under $25,000 bail in connection to the new case.
Otlano’s preliminary hearing in this case is scheduled Feb. 5.
