Tupelo man back in jail after meth, false info arrest
A Tupelo man previously convicted of simple assault on a police officer is back in the Oktibbeha County Jail after police say he provided false information to police while possessing methamphetamine during a traffic stop.
On Monday 22-year-old Garrett Butler had an initial appearance and probable cause hearing in Starkville Municipal Court, after he was arrested on Highway 12 Sunday.
According to affidavits filed after the arrest, Butler is accused of misleading officers by identifying himself as “Dylan Butler” and providing a false birthday of April 2, 1995. He was also found to be in possession of 0.6 grams of methamphetamine, discovered tied inside plastic in his front left pants pocket.
Municipal Judge Brian Kelley set Butler's bond on the two charges at $5,000.
Methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule I narcotic, and possession of the highlyaddictive drug is punishable by up to three years in prison or $50,000 in fines.
Immediately following his arrest, a waiver for a preliminary probation revocation hearing was filed on Monday in Circuit Court against Butler in connection with a past charge of simple assault on a law enforcement officer.
According to the documents, Butler failed to report to his probation officer, moved residence without notification, failed to pay his fines or supervision fees and then was arrested on the drug and false information charges over the weekend.
In 2017, Butler pleaded guilty to one count of simple assault on a law enforcement officer, with another count retired, and was sentenced to five years in prison, with four years suspended. The remaining year was to be served with Butler given credit for any pre-trial confinement in the county jail.
Butler was indicted on the two counts in January 2017, after he was accused of punching one officer in the nose and spitting in the eye of another officer.