Accused drug dealer faces more charges
A suspected drug dealer, currently being held on three drug delivery cases, was sentenced to time served in the Butler County Prison on an unrelated case in Butler County Court on Thursday,
Tony F. Smith, 42, was sentenced to time served to six months in the county prison, with 12 months probation to follow, by Judge Timothy McCune. He was also ordered to pay $350 in fines after previously pleading guilty to two misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance — Suboxone and crack cocaine — on Jan. 19.
Smith was initially charged with felons not to possess firearms, carrying a firearm without a permit and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, as well as misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and a summary charge of driving under suspension after an incident on Aug. 25, 2016.
Smith, who was out on bail at the time of these charges awaiting trial in a felony drug case, was charged by Butler City police after an investigation into suspected drug activity outside a home on North Seventh Street. The suspect then drove away.
The suspect was identified as Smith and pulled over at Randolph and Kendall streets in Lyndora
In the Dodge Avenger that Smith was driving with a suspended license were three passengers — two who were wanted on warrants.
A subsequent search of the car turned up a plastic bag with clothing. Stashed in the bag also was a fully-loaded .45-caliber pistol, police said. Smith admitted the bag was his, police said.
As a felon out of Ohio, Smith is prohibited under state law from having any firearms. He also had no concealed carry permit, police said.
The suspect was taken to the police station and searched. He had three Suboxone strips in one of his pants pockets, police said. Hidden in his sock were five individually wrapped baggies of suspected crack. In all, the crack weighed 3.27 grams, police said.
He was placed in the Butler County Prison on $100,000 bail following arraignment. Bail was later reduced and he was released, however was again incarcerated on the three pending cases. He continues to be held in those cases.
