Man faced many charges
A Butler man accused of helping another person burn and dispose of a woman's body after the other man allegedly shot her, was on county probation at the time of the alleged crime.
James E. Howard-George, 23, has been charged with conspiracy to commit homicide and misdemeanor charges of abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence. He is accused of helping Ishemer Ramsey, 21, dispose of the remains of Melissa Barto, 26, after Ramsey allegedly shot her to death on June 8.
Howard-George is being held in the Butler County Prison after bail was denied in the current case.
Howard-George's criminal history, which dates back to 2012 in Butler County, including charges of robbery, felony gun possession, assault and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, according to court records.
Court records show he spent time in the Butler County Prison on many of the cases, but most of those were eventually pleaded down to lesser charges and probationary sentences. He also has spent time in jail on many probation revocations as a result of charges incurred while on probation in previous cases. He was currently on probation in three cases at the time the current homicide conspiracy charges were filed. Revocation hearings in those cases are now scheduled for July 17.
In the most recent case, Howard-George was charged with felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and summary traffic violations after an incident on March 4, 2016.
In that incident Butler City police pulled over a vehicle for driving without lights on at night. Howard-George was identified as the driver, and found to be driving without a license. Inside the vehicle, police found a bag containing two bundles of suspected heroin and several bags of suspected crack cocaine, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
Howard-George pleaded guilty to two amended counts of misdemeanor drug possession and was sentenced on Nov. 22, 2016, to six months of probation, court records show.
He was also sentenced on another case that same day, after being charged with felony carrying a concealed firearm without a license, and misdemeanor charges of child endangerment, corruption of minors and reckless endangerment in an incident on Feb. 20, 2016.
In that incident, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor carrying a firearm without a license and endangering the welfare of a child. He was sentenced to 18 months consecutive probation in that case, court records show.
City police charged him after they say he allowed an 11-year-old girl to handle a loaded handgun in back of the Butler Public Library. A tip led police to a Dumpster in back of the library on North McKean Street, where a loaded .380-caliber pistol was found, police said. Following a review of surveillance footage, Howard-George was identified walking up to the Dumpster with the girl, lifting his shirt and taking out the gun from his waistband, before putting it in the garbage bin. Several minutes later, the girl picked up the gun from the Dumpster while Howard-George watched. The child eventually put the gun back into the Dumpster before she and Howard-George left, the affidavit of probable cause states.
Howard-George also pleaded guilty the same day to misdemeanor disorderly conduct in an incident that occurred on Oct. 28, 2015. He was sentenced to 12 months of consecutive probation in that case as well, court records show.
In that incident, city police were called to the Center Avenue School, 102 Lincoln Ave., for a weapons violation, after a visitor, Howard-George, was found in possession of a spring-loaded knife, which is a prohibited weapon in the state, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
He was also charged in 2013 with misdemeanor simple assault and recklessly endangering another person after an incident on Aug. 14, 2013. On that date, city police were called to a fight at the intersection of Third Avenue and Filmore Street. The victims reported being assaulted by Howard-George after he made threats toward one of the men, according to court documents.
He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor simple assault and was sentenced to 12 months of probation, court records show.
Before that, he was sentenced to 12 months probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor receiving stolen property in an incident on April 3, 2013, according to court records.
In that incident, it was charged that during an assault of a pregnant woman and several others, Howard-George stole two cellphones, before assaulting one of the victims, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
He was also previously sentenced to 18 months probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor theft and simple assault in an incident on Aug. 7, 2012, court records state. He was initially charged with felony robbery in that incident, where city police say he robbed another man of a wallet in the 500 block of West Penn Street, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
Howard-George was also sentenced to 12 months probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor simple assault in an incident on March 28, 2012, court records state.
In that case, city police were called to the 500 block of West Penn Street after a person reported that Howard-George threatened to shoot him for skipping school. Howard-George was found in possession of a BB gun, police said. After being transported to the station, a crack pipe was found in the backseat of the police cruiser, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
The final Butler County case occurred on Jan. 31, 2012. Howard-George was charged with felony robbery, conspiracy to robbery and summary retail theft by city police after a report that two men stole items from Kmart and pushed an employee in the process. One of the men was identified as Howard-George, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
He pleaded guilty to summary retail theft and was ordered to pay fines, costs and $32.95 restitution.
