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Buttery convicted on drug charges

Friday, January 16, 2009
By JAMIE BARRAND, Editor

A jury convicted a Russellville man on three methamphetamine-related felony charges Thursday in Putnam County Circuit Court.

Chad Buttery, 28, was found guilty of Class B felony dealing in meth and Class C felonies possession of anhydrous ammonia and possession of chemical reagents. In addition, the jury found that Buttery should be deemed a habitual offender.

The jury heard testimony all day, and went to deliberation at 5 p.m. They returned with a verdict shortly after 7 p.m.

Judge Matthew Headley will sentence Buttery, who was immediately taken into custody when the verdict was handed down, on Feb. 12. A Class B felony is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, with an advisory sentence of six years, while the Class C felonies are punishable by up to eight years, with an advisory sentence of four years.

The habitual offender designation means Buttery's sentence will be enhanced by a minimum of 10 years and as many as 30 years.

"His record warrants a lengthy sentence," Putnam County Chief Prosecutor Don Van DerMoere said.

Buttery was arrested on Oct. 3 after Greencastle Police Department Officer Chris Helmer stopped a vehicle Buttery was driving due to a non-working license plate light. According to court documents, that traffic stop yielded the discovery that Buttery was in possession of meth precursors used in meth production, and that "further investigation led to the discovery of fleeing suspects and live marijuana growth in a nearby residence."

When Helmer stopped the car, Buttery and another male subject took off on foot, court documents said. Helmer lost both men, but returned to the still-running vehicle, where he discovered what he believed to be the components of a rolling meth lab.

Buttery was located at the residence of his brother Frederick Buttery in the 1000 block of Avenue E. The car Helmer found the meth manufacturing items in was registered to Frederick Buttery, court documents said.

Buttery was arrested and lodged in the Putnam County Jail, where his bond was set at $30,000 cash. His jury trial was originally set for Dec. 3, but was vacated on Dec. 2, when Buttery was released from jail on his own recognizance. Due to the filing of Class A misdemeanor battery charges in Montgomery County, Buttery's Putnam County recognizance bond was revoked and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest on Jan. 12.

Buttery's criminal history includes convictions in Montgomery County for Class C felony conspiracy to commit burglary in January 2001 and Class D felony theft in December 2005. In both of those cases he violated the terms of his probation more than once and was sent to prison to serve suspended sentences. According to information at the Indiana Department of Corrections Web site, Buttery was last released from prison on July 25.

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  • Please, let the punishment fit the crime.

    -- Posted by Xgamer on Fri, Jan 16, 2009, at 6:20 AM

  • We need to start a "sentence" pool here in this town. Want to be that he doesn't get a real lengthy sentence?

    -- Posted by whodouthinkur on Fri, Jan 16, 2009, at 7:06 AM

  • Bennassi got less for murder!!! Our county court system sucks!!!

    -- Posted by 1stamendrights on Fri, Jan 16, 2009, at 9:44 AM

  • 3 drug stories at the same time, plus another crime story. Interesting.

    -- Posted by reeltime on Fri, Jan 16, 2009, at 9:18 PM

  • pulled over for a light on his plate??? If i remember correctly they were pulled over in the afternoon? lol, not saying they shouldnt go to jail, just saying our cops n courts are liars

    -- Posted by zeegron on Sat, Jan 17, 2009, at 10:53 AM

  • you have to comit the same crime 3 times to be a habitual offender he has not be charged with drugs before. and yes there are alot of lyeing snitches out there beware !!!!!!!!

    -- Posted by GRANNY 14 on Sat, Jan 17, 2009, at 1:34 PM

  • I believe that is correct, Helmer does work at night. Lets all hope and pray that he is ok if he was in a wreck. I wonder what the story on that is....was he being careless, or with the bone chilling temperatures could road conditions have been to blame? I think UMad should consider that police officers sometimes have to respond to emergencies, and accidents can happen. Congrats on the trial Helmer!

    -- Posted by PutnamVoter on Sat, Jan 17, 2009, at 8:59 PM

  • Buttery certainly was no Einstein was he ?

    -- Posted by A Mad Bovine on Sun, Jan 18, 2009, at 7:25 AM

  • Please give the max sentance possible. We do not need this punk 'back on the streets' any time soon.

    -- Posted by GRNT on Mon, Jan 19, 2009, at 8:10 AM

  • Hey GRANNY, maybe it is you who should secure your comments. Even if the officer did lie, do you think he was able to plant a rolling meth lab?! Imagine, someone from the avenues of Greencastle dealing Meth. That's unfathomable! I don't care if its Buttery's first offense or his 30th, I am glad Helmer was able to assist in apprehending this punk and slowing down the Meth production in Putnam County.

    -- Posted by loufatsponge on Mon, Jan 19, 2009, at 12:59 PM

  • I AM SAYING THAT PEOPLE LIED AND THATS WHY HE IS GETTING SO MUCH TIME BUT IT WILL BE APEALED.AND THE LIEARS WELL KNOW THAT THEY LIED UNDER OTH

    -- Posted by GRANNY 14 on Mon, Jan 19, 2009, at 3:57 PM

  • I am sorry but chad should take what is coming to him and if mommy cant deal with that then maybe she should have been more of a mother then what she is or was when they were kids. And before calling people liers and sniches the minute your sons would have handed or offered my son drugs guess what I would call the police. you thank its ok for your kids to do drugs or make them when i believe you said your sons needed to step up to the plate and let the court know what they did. now its there and mommy is whinning.deal with it.

    -- Posted by drugs killing kids on Tue, Jan 20, 2009, at 11:44 AM

  • Do the crime do the time!

    -- Posted by 1stamendrights on Tue, Jan 20, 2009, at 3:04 PM

  • what if you done the time but did not do the crime the other two did what would you think then about that. And the mother will do what ever it takes to hide the truth for her sons. should the person who done the time get compensated for every day he was there and the ohters walked free as if they done nothing wrong.he was there for 98 day where is that being fair to him.

    -- Posted by drugs killing kids on Tue, Jan 20, 2009, at 3:47 PM

  • UMad...true, some officers drive faster than they should, I will support that. However, unless your officer friend is the officer in question then you probably should not automatically think that he is to blame for the accident. Now if the officer is to blame, then the facts should show us that. But until then I don't think it is fair for anyone to point the finger at him simply because other officers have questionable driving abilities.

    -- Posted by PutnamVoter on Wed, Jan 21, 2009, at 12:07 AM

  • This is for Granny 14....aka Chad and Brandon Buttery's mother: You know there were no liars and snitches....your boys did it and they were cowards to let an innocent person spend 98 days in jail! As far as your comment about "snitches beware", you should think before you type a comment about that because that would be considered a threat. All I can say is that in this particular case....the apple definately did not fall from the tree!

    -- Posted by drugs killing kids on Wed, Jan 21, 2009, at 8:02 PM

  • As an "out of towner" just reading his "home town paper" the saddest thing to me is that the MOM who drugged her kids is sitting pretty watching cable.

    Where as the this guy, who in my opinion has done less is getting burn at the stake. Sure what he did was bad. If he sells thats bad too. BUT the people he sells to want it, hes not drugging babies who have no choice when its in the bottle they are drinking. Both situations suck, but in my opinion the mother who drugged her babies is a very very bad person and should pay for it.

    Peace

    -- Posted by Jeff Lancaster on Fri, Jan 23, 2009, at 10:57 AM

  • ya and i hear the apple didnt fall far from your tree and the one that spent time in jail sure wasnt trying very hard to get out and i can say one thing my kids never got in trouble until they where older with drugs i am not saying my kids are not guilty of doing drugs i am saying the years they want to give is harsh you can kill some one and not get that much time.

    -- Posted by GRANNY 14 on Mon, Jan 26, 2009, at 9:07 PM

  • To Granny 14 the one who spent time in jail did try to get out you know nothing about what was going on with him miss smarty pants , but you would know the only thing on you mind is how much something worth on the sreet try me missy you defend drug dealers and who cares how many kids get hurt maybe one maybe your grandson god I hope not but you never know have you ever look at it that way granny.Think about it your grand childern or son one elses if its mine you better believe there would be no stopping until he got the death chair he took my baby I would take your baby deal with it cry baby.

    -- Posted by drugs killing kids on Tue, Jan 27, 2009, at 7:39 PM

  • Kid you reap what you sow. Someone has to be accountable. He is dealing drugs to babies. What does that make him and you. You are making exuces for him. Wake up and smell the roses. How can you stand back and let him do what he is doing. What kind of parent are you. You should be ashamed. How many excuses are you going to make for what he is doing.

    -- Posted by miss priss on Fri, Jan 30, 2009, at 12:38 AM

  • come on carla, aren't you setting a fine example at work. working it aren't you. yepper doesn't fall far from the tree. you are using the system. aren't you. working those babies for all you can. so you don't have to work. what is fred doing these days. you have got it all figured out don't you.

    -- Posted by miss priss on Fri, Jan 30, 2009, at 1:07 AM
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