2 men from Philly arrested on crack, gun charges
Two Philadelphia men are behind bars on six-figure bonds after state police vice officers said they found more than 2.6 ounces of crack cocaine, hundreds of dollars in currency and a stolen gun in a motel room in Butler Township.
Nymeer G. Scott, 20, and Zion A. Elam-Sturgis, 21, are facing a list of felony and misdemeanor drug charges in connection with their arrests Tuesday at the Comfort Inn & Suites off Route 8 south.
Police said they began their investigation after suspecting the men were selling narcotics from the motel. The arresting officer declined to comment about the information they obtained or their sources.
A controlled drug buy was conducted earlier this week at the motel as part of the investigation, according to charging documents. Officers also led a surveillance operation during which they watched the defendants allegedly deal drugs.
Investigators subsequently obtained a search warrant for the room Elam-Sturgis had rented for six days beginning Monday, police said. Before the warrant was executed around 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, officers detained the defendants outside the motel.
Scott was searched and found with suspected crack contained in 34 small baggies and 14 capsules, suspected marijuana, $128 and three cell phones, police said. Elam-Sturgis allegedly had suspected marijuana, $300 and a cell phone.
Among the items seized from the room, according to charging documents, were approximately 75 grams of crack, $1,642, empty capsules and other suspected drug-packaging materials, a false-bottom container, and four digital scales. The warrant search also allegedly turned up a 9 mm pistol authorities later determined was stolen, the investigating officer said Wednesday. The pistol had 10 rounds in the magazine, but none in the chamber.District Judge Wayne Seibel arraigned Scott and Elam-Sturgis on felony charges of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver a controlled substance.Scott was also arraigned on a felony charge of persons not to possess a firearm. Police noted there was a Dec. 23 warrant issued for his arrest in Philadelphia in connection with a case of smuggling contraband into prison. He was also wanted on a probation violation.Additionally, Seibel arraigned both defendants on misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and conspiracy for those same three charges. Both men are in the Butler County Prison on $100,000 bond each. Online records did not list an attorney for either man. Their preliminary hearings are scheduled for June 11.
