William Blust III

A Petrolia man was sentenced to probation in Butler County Court Thursday, after being charged with having nearly half a pound of marijuana.

William G. Blust III, 22, was sentenced to 6 months of probation by President Judge Thomas Doerr.

He was also ordered to pay court costs and complete 40 hours of community service in lieu of fines.

Blust pleaded guilty Jan. 31 to misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance.

He was also initially charged with felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance after the incident on Maharg Street in Butler on Dec. 9, 2016.

That remaining charge was dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

Butler police filed the charges after Blust's mother reported that she found a “large bag of marijuana” in a clothing drawer in her son's room at their home, according to court documents.

Police went to the house and took the plastic bag, which contained 231.9 grams — or about a half pound — of suspected marijuana.

Officers also seized $1,160 in currency that belonged to Blust, police said.

He also faces similar charges in an incident in Penn Township on Jan. 22, 2017, after police said Blust was found with two large bags of suspected marijuana, a large bag of suspected marijuana wax, rolling papers, a scale and $1,910 in currency following a traffic stop on Route 8.

In the car's center console, documents said, police also seized four plastic bags that Blust admitted contained “Molly,” also called MDMA,

Bail was set at $10,000, which was posted.

He is awaiting further court proceedings in that case.