YSU theft suspect asks for treatment

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A former Youngstown State University employee facing a charge of misusing a university credit card is asking a court for treatment.

In a motion filed in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on Monday, lawyers for Jeffrey Butts Jr., 41, of Clermont Avenue Northeast in Warren, filed a motion for treatment in lieu of conviction before Judge John Durkin, who is hearing the case.

The motion says that Butts has a gambling addiction and a history of mental-health issues. The motion asks that he undergo a drug and mental health assessment to determine if he is eligible for treatment in lieu of conviction.

Under the designation, if approved by Judge Durkin, Butts would undergo a treatment program for what led to his behavior before entering a plea of guilty.

If a defendant successfully completes the program, no felony conviction will exist on the record. To be eligible, a defendant must not have a violent felony conviction on his or her record. Butts has no prior criminal record, court records show.

Butts was arrested by YSU police and arraigned on the charge in May. He is accused of misusing a credit card belonging to an employee in the Islamic Studies department last summer.

University police first began investigating in September, when Butts no longer worked for the university as an administrative assistant in the Islamic Studies department. He resigned when the theft was discovered.

According to a criminal complaint, Butts used the card to funnel more than $16,000 in cash to himself.

The employee whose card Butts was using is still employed by the university.