Search for wanted suspect leads to drug arrest
A tip led to the unexpected arrest of a suspected drug dealer and the finding of a large amount of narcotics and currency Monday evening at a Butler Township apartment complex, authorities said.
Among the evidence seized, according to Butler Township police, was more than 2.5 ounces of suspected crack cocaine, about 1 ounce of suspected heroin, hundreds of new and unused stamp bags for packaging drugs and thousands of dollars.
Paul Q. Griffin II, 20, of Philadelphia, is behind bars on felony drug possession and other charges following his arrest at Old Plank Estates.
Officers from Butler Township and Butler had gone to the apartment complex about 5:30 p.m. after city police received a tip that James E. Howard-George had been seen there.
City police have been looking for Howard-George, 26, of Butler, after they say he ran away from officers March 6, leaving behind a backpack that contained a .22-caliber pistol.
As a felon, he is prohibited under state law from possessing any firearms.
While looking in two apartments for the wanted man, who was not found, police said they stopped another man, later identified as Griffin, trying to flee the complex. He had a backpack with him.
A pat-down search for weapons, police said, turned up $3,150 in his pants pockets. Officers also looked in the backpack and found what they believed to be heroin, crack and drug-packaging materials.
In a search at the township police station, police allegedly found two plastic baggies containing about 27 grams of suspected heroin, 30 stamp bags of suspected heroin and four plastic baggies with 79 grams of suspected crack.
Additionally, they found six boxes containing about 5,300 new, unused stamp bags; an open box of 250 plastic baggies; 500 small rubber bands; two containers of suspected marijuana; a digital scale; and two cellphones.
All of the evidence, police said, is “consistent with the sale of illegal narcotics.”
On Tuesday, District Judge Sue Haggerty arraigned Griffin on two felony counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and two misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance.
He also is charged with misdemeanor counts of possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia. He was placed in the Butler County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bond.
