COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Two suspects were arrested Thursday after police found a trail of evidence in a west Columbus home during a drug raid.
According to court documents, detectives with the Ohio Organized Crime Investigative Commission, High Intensity Drug Task Force executed a narcotics search warrant near the intersection of South Oakley Avenue and Apple Street, just south of West Broad Street.
Authorities entered the Central Hilltop home and located Deuvaul Butler, Robert Jones and a woman police believed to be a drug user. The task force focused its investigation on Butler and Jones, who were suspected of drug trafficking together.
Detectives searched the residence and found a large amount of suspected drugs inside of a toilet, a revolver near where police said Butler’s phone was located, a rifle in a second-floor bedroom, a trail of money that was scattered up the stairs toward the second floor, and a large bundle of cash found near Jones, who was apprehended in the basement of the home.
Court records state that detectives believe that Butler and Jones, who were sitting in the living room when the warrant was executed, attempted to destroy evidence in the toilet before authorities entered. Police said the suspects likely panicked and forgot to flush the toilet before running toward the basement.
Police allegedly found white powder on Jones’ hands and on the cuff of his purple hooded sweatshirt he was wearing during the raid. Detectives said both suspects, who are on parole for past drug and weapons charges, were in contact with the firearms recovered at the residence.
Buter, 25, and Jones were charged with possession of drugs and having weapons under disability and were taken to the Franklin County Jail for processing. On Friday, they were each issued $750,000 bond in municipal court.
It is Butler’s fourth time facing charges out of municipal court. Previous charges include felony fleeing in 2022, possession of drugs (2020), and felonious assault (2018).
In Jan. 2023, Butler pleaded guilty in common pleas court to possession of drugs and failure to comply with an officer and was sentenced to 30 months of community control. That case has since reopened because of Thursday’s arrest.
Jones was also under probation at the time of Thursday’s arrest. In June 2020, he was sentenced to five years in prison for possession of drugs, to be served concurrently with a one-year sentence for having weapons under disability. That sentence also included five years of post-release control.