Zachary Smith

A former Butler Township man, currently serving more than four years in a state correctional institution for unrelated drug delivery charges in another county, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to drug-related charges in Butler County Court on Tuesday.

Zachary E. Smith, 25, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and possession of paraphernalia before county Judge William Shaffer.

He was immediately sentenced to 24 months probation and ordered to pay court costs.

Smith's attorney, Michael Jewart, asked that the probation be concurrent, as Smith is currently serving at least 54 months in a state facility, with six years parole following charges in Jefferson County. Shaffer granted that request.

Smith also was initially charged with felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, which was withdrawn as part of the plea.

The Butler County charges stem from a traffic stop in Penn Township on March 5.

Penn Township police said the vehicle was pulled over for an expired registration, and the smell of marijuana was coming from inside the vehicle.

Smith, a passenger in the car, was searched and found with a marijuana pipe, according to court documents.

On the passenger seat, police said, the officer noticed a cell phone open to text messages. One message was a text that Smith sent to someone saying, “I'm pulled over with your stuff dude please wait,” a police affidavit said.

Also found was Smith's backpack that allegedly contained a Mason jar filled with suspected marijuana, a scale, rolling papers, marijuana grinder and pipe, and a notebook believed to detail what alleged drug buyers owed.

Police said the seized items were evidence of “drug trafficking.”

The suspect was taken to the police station where he admitted the bag and marijuana were his, documents said.

He was arraigned and bail was set at $30,000, which was posted that day.

After a jury trial on the Jefferson County charges, Smith was found guilty on June 20 of felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and summary traffic offenses. He was sentenced to 54 months to 10 years in a state correctional facility on July 19 in that case.