Multiple drug busts nab 9 suspects Friday
State police vice officers with the help of county narcotics detectives rounded up a suspected drug crew from Ohio allegedly dealing crack cocaine and heroin in Butler County.
The arrests happened Friday evening during an investigation resulting in separate drug raids 30 minutes apart at two Butler homes. In all, nine suspects were nabbed and jailed.
Police seized nearly $7,000 in currency, investigators said, in addition to more than 11 grams of suspected crack, at least 3 grams of heroin, drug-packaging materials and other contraband, and cell phones.
All nine defendants are charged with felony counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, conspiracy and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, and misdemeanor drug possession.
Charged from Ohio are Elijah G. Alexander, 30, Bryant L. Battle, 49, and Terrell M. McDowell, 38, all of Youngstown; Darrell G. Strowder Jr., 33, of Cleveland Heights; and Angel S. Thompson, 25, of Boardman.
District Judge Sue Haggerty remanded all five defendants to Butler County Prison on $100,000 bail each following an arraignment Saturday.
Also charged are David W. Robertson Jr., 37, Phillip Hoak, 32, and Katie M. Defonde, 33, all of Butler; and Becky J. Zebley, 34, of Ellwood City.All four were placed in the county prison on $50,000 bail each after Haggerty arraigned them Saturday.The network of suspected dealers — known as the “Youngstown Crew” — had been on police radar for some time, according to investigators. Informants apparently first tipped off authorities the crew was trafficking crack and heroin in the Butler area.According to police, crew members would typically set up shop at a drug user's home to deal narcotics. Police said two suspected sites of operation included homes in the city at 410 East Locust St., Apt. 1, and 331 West North St., Apt. 9.Robertson lives at the apartment on East Locust Street, and Defonde and Hoak live at the apartment on West North Street, police said.
Around 2 p.m., investigators spotted a Nissan Altima leaving the apartment. Thompson was driving and Strowder, Battle and McDowell were riding in the car.The vehicle drove a short distance before stopping at another car, a Chevrolet Celebrity. Police said Battle got out of the Nissan and removed two bags from the Chevy.Battle returned to the Nissan and placed the bags in the car, which took off. Police made a traffic stop minutes later, pulling over the Nissan at West New Castle and Main streets.A subsequent search of the car turned up a gym bag in the trunk. That bag contained a digital scale with suspected cocaine residue, empty glassine bags commonly used to package drugs, and a small amount of money, police said.Much more money was seized when officers searched the occupants in the vehicle.McDowell had $3,360 in currency inside a shoe and an additional $695 in his left pocket, according to charging documents. Strowder and Battle were carrying $1,295 and $690, respectively.Police also noted recorded, official funds used in the previous drug buys among the money in the defendants' possession.All four occupants in the car were detained.
Back at the West North Street apartment, officers at 3:15 p.m. saw a man and woman get into the same Chevy Celebrity seen earlier and drive to the apartment on East Locust Street.Authorities conducted surveillance at that apartment, police said, during which they saw multiple people enter the home, stay for short periods of time, and leave.Police eventually obtained search warrants for both apartments. Members of the state police Special Emergency Response Team led the executions of the warrants around 6:30 p.m. on East Locust Street and about 7 p.m. at West North Street.At the East Locust Street apartment, according to charging documents, officers found Robertson inside and Zebley, his girlfriend, outside. Alexander and Hoak were also in the home.
Seized from the apartment were three baggies of suspected crack totaling 11 grams and a piece of crack in a pill bottle, 3 grams of suspected heroin on a plate and 21 stamp bags of suspected heroin, and a small amount of suspected marijuana, police said. Also confiscated were empty stamp bags and sandwich bags, two cell phones and more than $900 in currency.Defonde was alone when police searched her home on West North Street.Seized was a digital scale, three used syringes, suspected drug-packaging items and contraband, according to charging documents.Investigators attribute the lack of drugs found during the searches to the alleged dealers having nearly exhausted their supply.
