Sanya Vantassel

After pleading guilty earlier in April to drug distribution, a woman was immediately paroled on her county prison sentence Thursday in Butler County Court.

Sanya L. Vantassel, 41, was sentenced to 3 to 12 months in Butler County Prison by Butler County Prison by Judge William Shaffer, and was immediately paroled. She was also ordered to pay court costs.

Vantassel pleaded guilty April 3 to felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

Police said Vantassel sold 10 stamp bags of heroin and an “8 ball” of crack cocaine on Feb. 18, 2016, on North Street.

During the March hearing, an undercover state trooper testified that he was working with the state police vice unit when a confidential informant attempted to set up a drug buy with an individual, who reported that he wasn't available and referred the informant to another contact named “Sonya."

During the transaction, coordinated by the informant, the undercover agent testified that he drove both the informant and “Sonya” to two homes, one to purchase crack cocaine and the other to purchase heroin.

Later, the agent testified, “Sonya” was identified as Sonya Drake using Facebook photos and charges were filed. Those charges were later withdrawn after police concluded that the suspect was in fact not Sonya Drake.

Vantassel was later identified and the agent said he was “confident” Vantassel was the person in the vehicle at the time of the transactions, identifying a unique piercing Vantassel has.

A full story appears in the Butler Eagle.