Apartment raid leads to trio of drug arrests
Police raided an apartment at Old Plank Estates in Butler Township on Friday, arresting two men from Philadelphia and a Butler woman along with confiscating thousands of dollars worth of crack cocaine, heroin, paraphernalia for drug distribution and a handgun.
The apartment's lease is in the name of 32-year-old Mandi L. Gipson. Gipson, of Butler, was arrested along with Vakie Ionic Knight, 27, and Quendell Mauri Owens, 24, both of Philadelphia.
The three face identical charges of two felony counts of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, one felony count of criminal conspiracy, two misdemeanor counts of possession with intent to deliver and use/possession of drugs.The raid was the result of an investigation that started in mid-October, according to Detective Timothy Fennell with the Butler County District Attorney's Drug Task Force. The group investigated the apartment on Old Plank Road and led the raid with help from Butler Township Police.“We know there's other associated people,” Fennell said, adding that the investigation continues.According, to Fennell the two Philadelphia men brought the suspected drugs with them from their home city. “A high percentage of the heroin we see here comes from Philly,” Fennell said.
In total, according to court documents, police found 24 grams of crack-cocaine, four stamp bags of heroin and 12 capsules of what they believe is heroin. The estimated value, according to police, of the crack cocaine is $2,000 and the capsules of heroin had an approximate value of $1,200.Police also found $637 cash, stamp bags, rubber bands and other items that they believe were used in selling drugs to people in the area.In the apartment they also found a handgun, which is not registered in Pennsylvania. There are no reports of it being stolen, according to Fennell, and the task force is waiting on information from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as they work to determine whether the weapon is registered in another state.According to Fennell, the Butler woman, Gipson, allegedly did most of the selling in the area while the two men supplied the drugs. All three suspects are in Butler County Prison on $100,000 bail each, according to prison officials.
