Andrew Lucas

An East Butler man, charged with drug distribution and endangering his 8-year-old child after his girlfriend allegedly overdosed while seven months pregnant with their second child, will be returned to state prison on a parole detainer after a bond modification request was granted in two Butler County cases.

Andrew W. Lucas, 37, was being held in the Butler County Prison on $10,000 bail on charges of misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child, corruption of minors and possession of drug paraphernalia after an incident on June 22; and $100,000 bail on charges of two felony counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance after an incident May 19.

In county court on Tuesday, Lucas was released on pretrial supervision by Judge William Shaffer. However, Lucas also was being held on a state parole detainer and will be returned to state prison to face the parole violation allegations.

His attorney, Armand Cingolani, said his client requested the bond modification so that he can be returned to state prison and focus on his recovery.

“He would rather go there than stay here and associate with us,” he said. “He has exhausted all drug treatment programs at the county jail.”

Lucas himself testified saying he wanted to further his rehabilitation with more programs that are not offered at the county jail.

Assistant District Attorney Laura Pitchford, who is prosecuting the case, argued that the bond should remain the same as this is the fourth case against Lucas involving possession with intent and he is “looking at state time if convicted.”

“We would prefer he resolve his cases here first,” she said.

Lucas was charged in the endangering case after his girlfriend — Kasey R. Dischman, 30, of Butler — allegedly overdosed on heroin while seven months pregnant with her second child on June 22 at the couple's home on Tenth Street in East Butler. Lucas' charges stem from the couple's 8-year-old daughter allegedly being present in the house at the time of the overdose.

Lucas was home and called 911 to report finding his girlfriend unresponsive in the bathroom, but when police arrived he allegedly lied about what happened to Dischman. He claimed she had a seizure disorder and said she did not use drugs, documents said. Additionally, he denied moving anything or destroying evidence.

That overdose prompted an emergency response, with Dischman giving birth via cesarean section and the baby, a girl, suffering “lasting injuries,” according to court records.

Because of what Lucas told first-responders, emergency crews did not administer the opioid antidote Narcan, which would have been crucial in directly treating Dischman and indirectly her unborn child.

Lucas was arrested June 23 on a parole violation after failing a drug test. He was placed in the State Correctional Institution in Mercer and later moved to a halfway house in Erie.

Dischman was also charged in that case and was released onto house arrest after her own bond modification hearing Tuesday.

The Butler County Drug Task Force then later charged him in the drug distribution case after allegations that he sold 10 stamp bags of heroin to an informant for $70 on Oak Alley in East Butler in May.