2 arrested in Butler Twp. on multiple drug charges
BUTLER TWP — On the street, they're called “beat bags.”
In reality, they are fake drugs — baking soda, sugar or other common kitchen substances dressed up in bags and sold to unsuspecting addicts.
They are what Butler Township police say officers turned up this week at a Route 8 motel.
Arrested in the alleged counterfeit drug case were Tyrone M. Higgins, 34, of Pittsburgh and Kashmir M. Wissinger, 26, of Clinton Township. Both are in the Butler County Prison on felony and other drug charges.
An officer conducting routine patrol duty just after midnight Tuesday was credited with finding the defendants, according to court documents.
Patrolman Tyler Collins happened upon Wissinger's car in the motel parking lot when he ran the vehicle's license plate. He learned that she was wanted by state parole authorities.
A clerk told the officer that Wissinger had paid cash for a room, documents said. She had checked in with two men.
Police found both defendants at the motel. In Wissinger's purse, police turned up 12 stamp bags containing what they thought was heroin and a baggie containing suspected cocaine.
She also had 353 empty stamp bags, eight syringes and other drug contraband, police said.
A book bag in the defendants' room had additional contraband, including 19 empty stamp bags. Both suspects denied the book bag was theirs.Back at the police station, documents said, Wissinger talked. She allegedly admitted the suspected heroin was not heroin at all, but cocoa and baking soda.“She said that Higgins was packaging the combined substances and selling it as heroin to rip people off,” according to a police affidavit.“I even helped,” Wissinger acknowledged.Police said they eventually determined that Higgins, who had initially given a bogus name, was found to have a bench warrant out for him in Allegheny County.Wissinger was arraigned on a felony charge of possession with intent to deliver a counterfeit controlled substance and misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.Higgins was arraigned on a charge of conspiracy to deliver a counterfeit controlled substance and misdemeanor charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and false identification to law enforcement authorities.Higgins and Wissinger are in the county prison on $50,000 bail and $25,000 bail, respectively.
