Government waives detention in drug case

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A man facing federal drug charges was released Wednesday following a detention hearing before a U.S. magistrate.

Anthony Scrutchen Jr., 30, was released following a hearing in the U.S. Northern District Court of Ohio before Magistrate George Limbert on a complaint he was distributing drugs. U.S. attorneys waived the detention hearing and Scrutchen also waived his preliminary hearing and his right to have the case presented to a federal grand jury within 30 days.

Scrutchen, according to court records, was taken into custody Feb. 15 following a search warrant that was served Jan. 13 at a home he owns in the 100 block of South Jackson Street and a follow up search at a home in the first block of North Bruce Street, which an affidavit said he gave investigators permission to search.

At the Jackson Street home investigators found a 9mm handgun, several rounds of ammunition, $5,810 in cash, 32 grams of crack cocaine, eight grams of powdered cocaine and a scale.

At the Bruce Street home, investigators found 16 grams of marijuana and a small amount of cocaine, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit says that the amounts of drugs found are more than what is usually found for personal consumption and asked that charges for selling drugs be considered against Scrutchen.

The complaint against Scrutchen was signed Feb. 2 by Limbert.