John Thoma

A felon remains jailed after Butler police linked him to a stolen handgun.

Police said they found drug contraband when they arrested 29-year-old John W. Thoma Saturday at an East Jefferson Street store.

Police said they also found Thoma, who is apparently homeless, with a number of items taken during a series of suspected vehicle ransackings.

He is being held in the Butler County Prison on $50,000 bail.

Authorities had been looking for Thoma since Sept. 19 when they recovered his grandfather’s pistol in the basement of a vacant building in the 300 block of West North Street, according to court documents.

Police Sgt. Ben Spangler said a tip from Wayne Thoma, owner of the .38-caliber Smith & Wesson pistol, led police to the apartment.

The elder Thoma said the defendant had disclosed to him the gun’s whereabouts. Spangler found the gun in a shoe box along with six rounds of ammunition.

State police had previously entered the pistol’s serial number into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center database, documents said.

City officers on Saturday found the suspect at the A-Plus store. Employees had tipped off authorities that Thoma was there exchanging a large amount of coins for dollar bills.

A pat-down search of the defendant turned up several cans of pepper spray and tin boxes containing 16 empty stamp bags of suspected heroin, seven syringes and other drug contraband, said Patrolman Jason Gueck.

Police also found Thoma with a backpack. Inside the pack, documents said, were several items including a global positioning system device, Zippo lighter, hand tools and portable DVD player.

Those items and other evidence, including a flashlight, documents said, led police to suspect he was responsible for several recent vehicle break-ins in Butler.

Officers eventually traced some of the property to three vehicle owners. Other potential victims have not been identified.

Spangler and Gueck interviewed Thoma, who allegedly admitted entering unlocked cars over the past two weeks and stealing items, police said.

Additionally, he allegedly acknowledged telling his grandfather where the gun was, police said.

The defendant also said he may have stolen the gun but could not say for certain, documents said, as he is a “junkie.”

Because of his criminal record, which includes a felony conviction for retail theft, he is prohibited under state law from having any guns.

Thoma, in the gun case, was arraigned on felony charges of receiving stolen property and illegal possession of a firearm.

He is charged separately with three counts of theft from a vehicle and one count each of possessing both an instrument of crime and drug paraphernalia.