Police: Suspects tried to flush drugs down toilet
BUTLER TWP — Two men are accused of trying to flush crack cocaine, narcotic painkillers and marijuana down the toilet at a home.
But their efforts crapped out and Butler Township police say they recovered the drugs.
Arrested in the incident Tuesday night were Jose A. Miller, 39, of Farrell, Mercer County, and Willie E. Jones III, 39, of Youngstown, Ohio.
Both men are charged with attempting to dump the drugs.
Miller, who is also charged with possessing the drugs, is in the Butler County Prison on $50,000 bail. Jones is free on $10,000 bail.
Police said they came upon the defendants around 9:30 p.m. when they got a call for two men refusing to leave a home on the 200 block of Alameda Road. The suspects also were allegedly breaking items in the house.
Officers surrounded the home and eventually found Miller, Jones and one of the residents, a 20-year-old woman, inside, according to court documents.
While searching the house for other people, police said officer Paul Kuss noticed what appeared to be drugs in the bathroom toilet bowl.
Police retrieved the contraband from the commode after the resident who was there let them search the home. She lives at the house with a 24-year-old woman.
The suspected crack, oxycodone pills and marijuana was contained in two sandwich bags, documents said.
Also seized from the house were two baggies containing suspected crack and heroin that were allegedly discovered on the box spring in one of the bedrooms, and a digital scale with white powder on it that was found in another bedroom.
The residents apparently know Miller and told police that he showed up there with drugs two hours earlier, documents said. At some point, he became angry and broke a lamp.
He also is accused of threatening to assault the women, which prompted the older resident to flee.The younger woman recounted that she saw both defendants “run to the bathroom,” according to a police affidavit, “and (start) flushing the drugs.”Officers reportedly arrived a short time later. Police said when they got there and asked for Jones' identity, he gave them a bogus name.District Judge Sue Haggerty arraigned Miller on three felony counts of possession and one felony count of conspiracy with intent to deliver a controlled substance.Additionally, he was arraigned on three misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and one misdemeanor count each of possession of a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and tampering with physical evidence.He also is charged with two misdemeanor counts of simple assault.Haggerty arraigned Jones on misdemeanor charges of tampering with physical evidence and false identification to law enforcement authorities.He also is charged with being a fugitive from justice in Ohio, where he is wanted in Trumbull County on an arrest warrant for driving with a suspended license, authorities said.Preliminary hearings for both defendants are scheduled Jan. 24.Police on Thursday said the investigation is ongoing and others could be charged in the case.
