A New Castle resident pleaded guilty Thursday to federal drug charges stemming from a November 2015 arrest in Butler County.

Zaamar “Scrap” Stevenson, 43, pleaded guilty to three counts of violating federal narcotics laws before U.S. District Court Judge Nora Barry Fischer in Pittsburgh.

On Nov. 9, 2015, officers with the Butler County District Attorney's Drug Task Force and FBI utilized a confidential informant to purchase suspected heroin and crack cocaine from Stevenson, according to U.S. Attorney Scott Brady.

While on surveillance, officers observed a female get into the back seat of the defendant's rental vehicle, which they then stopped. Stevenson was the driver. The female admitted that she arranged to buy crack from the defendant. A blue grocery bag was found under the front passenger seat that contained bags of crack cocaine and stamp bags of heroin. The defendant had $1,506, $150 of which were prerecorded official funds and the front passenger had $185 in her purse, $20 of which were prerecorded official funds.

Following Stevenson's arrest, county Detective Tim Fennell told the Butler Eagle that officers found 20 individually wrapped $100 baggies, 101 individual $50 baggies of suspected crack and 63 bags of suspected heroin in the blue grocery bag.

Fennell estimated the street value of the seized drugs at nearly $8,000.

Stevenson's criminal record shows 10 drug-related felony convictions in Butler and Lawrence counties between 2000 and 2009.

In his most recent conviction, he was sentenced to serve three to 10 years in state prison for selling cocaine in the New Castle area.

Stevenson was on state parole for his conviction in that 2009 case, filed by the state attorney general's office, when arrested Nov. 9.

Fischer scheduled sentencing for May 27. Stevens faces a maximum total sentence of five years to 40 years in prison, a fine of $5 million, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the court ordered that Stevenson remain incarcerated.