A Coudersport woman is facing criminal charges for allegedly growing marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms, and allegedly feeding them to her children.
Kacie Mae Butler, 28, of 308 S. Main St., Apt. 2, is charged in one case with two counts each of endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree felonies; and recklessly endangering another person, second-degree misdemeanors. In the second case, she is charged with three counts of manufacturing or possessing with the intent to deliver drugs, felonies; four counts each of possession of drugs and of paraphernalia, all misdemeanors.
According to court records, in July, a trooper with the Coudersport-based state police was stopped by someone in Shinglehouse who told him of “unsatisfactory conditions” at Butler’s apartment in Coudersport, and said three minor children lived there. A search warrant was served at the residence on July 25.
Officers found pills, methamphetamine, marijuana, LSD and hallucinogenic mushrooms, along with numerous items involved in growing, packaging, using and selling drugs both inside the residence and in a storage unit allegedly belonging to Butler’s husband, Ellis Ott, court records read.
The couple and another person at the residence, Jeffrey Baumgratz, were all charged in relation to the drugs, the criminal complaint stated.
The children were interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Center of McKean County. Two of the young children told the interviewer that there were times when there was no food in the residence, and that their mother gave them drugs to eat. One child had been made to eat psilocybin mushrooms, while another said he had been made to eat marijuana, the criminal complaints alleged.
Butler and Ott were apprehended in McKean County on July 29 as they were making plans to leave town, according to state police. When state troopers, Port Allegany Police Department and Smethport Police Department attempted to make contact, the two fled on Route 155, traveling north.
Police said a high-speed chase occurred, beginning in Port Allegany borough and leading to Slack Hollow Road just outside Eldred borough. The chase continued to the end of the dead end road, at which point Butler and Ott fled the vehicle on foot. Police report that both were arrested immediately. Upon searching the vehicle, police found additional drugs.
Ott was suspected of DUI as well. Charges related to the pursuit and drugs found in the vehicle will be filed in McKean County, state police indicated.
Butler was arraigned July 29 on the allegations relating to the drugs found at the residence, and remanded to jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on those charges on Monday before District Judge Annette Easton. She is scheduled for a hearing on the endangerment charges at the same time, according to online court dockets. She is represented by the public defender’s office.
She is also facing a charge of defiant trespass relating to an alleged incident July 25 when she was at a Shinglehouse residence and did not leave despite being told to leave, police said.
Ellis Ott, 32, was charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of possession with intent to deliver, one count of manufacturing, four counts of possession of a controlled substance and four counts of paraphernalia. He was arraigned in the early morning hours of July 30 and remanded to jail without bail for attempting to flee the jurisdiction, the online dockets indicate. He is scheduled for a hearing Monday before Easton as well. He is represented by attorney Christopher Martini.
Baumgratz, 52, faces charges of one count of conspiracy, one count of manufacturing, one count of possession of a small amount of marijuana, one count of possession of a controlled substance and one count of paraphernalia. He has waived a preliminary hearing in the case. He is free on $25,000 unsecured bail. He is represented by attorney Thomas Walrath.
