A suspected thief is accused of stealing handguns from two different Butler County homes and trading them for heroin.

One of the guns, reported stolen more than a year ago, recently turned up following a shooting in Allegheny County.

Hearings for Justin Lawrence Olson, 32, of Summit Township are set for next week in two separate felony cases.

Olson turned himself in to authorities on Wednesday, a day after state police obtained warrants for his arrest.

District Judge Kevin O'Donnell arraigned Olson on two felony counts each of theft and receiving stolen property. He was placed in the Butler County Prison on $40,000 bail following arraignment.

Olson's attorney, Michael Pawk, on Friday denied the allegations and promised to mount a vigorous defense. His client has not spoken to police.

Olson is charged with stealing a Ruger .45-caliber pistol from a home in Center Township and a Ruger 9 mm pistol from a home in Clay Township.

Police believe both guns were taken sometime between Christmas Day 2015 and Jan. 2, 2016, according to court documents.

The defendant allegedly pilfered the .45-caliber pistol, valued at $800, from a friend's home on Meadow Brooke Lane, a source told investigators. Police did not identify the source.

He is accused of taking the handgun to a drug dealer in Butler and swapping it for 50 stamp bags of heroin.

“Olson then drove the dealer to Pittsburgh to get the gun out of Butler,” according to a police affidavit, “and to purchase more heroin.”

That gun, police said, was recovered on April 27 after it was involved in a shooting in McKees Rocks. The alleged shooter got away.

A source, who police did not identify, provided information about the other theft. The defendant allegedly swiped the 9 mm pistol, valued at $500, while visiting the home on Route 308.

The source told investigators that Olson eventually took the gun to Pittsburgh's Hazelwood section and traded it for heroin.

Pawk said he believes the source in both cases is the same person who is cooperating with police,

“There is no evidence here,” he said, “except the statement of a police informant. At this point, that's all we have.”

Police investigators did not return a telephone call Friday.

Olson is to face preliminary hearings in both cases June 6 at the office of District Judge Lewis Stoughton in Chicora.