Three jailed in drug raid
Heroin, crack cocaine and marijuana were seized from a Butler home and three people were arrested in a weekend drug raid, authorities said.
The Butler County Drug Task Force led the Saturday morning operation at a home on the 200 block of Second Street.
In addition to the suspected drugs, officers allegedly found hundreds of dollars, scales and drug-packaging materials.
Accused are Marc A. Pippens, 46, and Jessica A. Erdos, 43, who both live at the home; and Joseph J. Bell, 26, of Pittsburgh.
District Judge Sue Haggerty arraigned all three on two counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and one count of conspiracy, all felonies. Pippens also was arraigned on misdemeanor charges of possession of a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.Pippens and Bell are both in the Butler County Prison in lieu $50,000 bond each. Erdos is in the county prison in lieu $100,000 bond.The task force, assisted by the county's emergency services unit, executed a search warrant at the home about 6 a.m., authorities said. The warrant was obtained following an investigation.Officers found Bell in the living room. He was allegedly carrying $435, some of which was prerecorded “buy money” that police used during the investigation. Pippens and Erdos were found in different bedrooms.
The search of the home, investigators said, turned up 25 stamp bags of suspected heroin, seven plastic baggies containing a combined 9.17 grams of suspected crack, and less than 32 grams of suspected marijuana.Additionally, officers found another $770 in currency, two digital scales, five cell phones, boxes of sandwich baggies, and empty clear plastic bags.The evidence seized, according to charging documents, is “indicative of drug trafficking.”
