A Chillicothe woman is being held in the Ross County Jail after being taken into custody Monday on outstanding indictment warrants stemming from two separate Ross County Common Pleas Court cases.
According to jail records, Melissa J. Butterbaugh, 36, was arrested by the Chillicothe Police Department at approximately 2:44 p.m. on July 27. Officer Christopher McGowan is listed as the arresting officer. She was booked into the Ross County Jail shortly after 3:00 p.m.
Jail records indicate Butterbaugh is being held on three warrant-related charges:
- Two counts of Possession of Drugs related to outstanding felony indictments.
- One count of Theft Without Consent, also stemming from an indictment.
Court records show one case alleges Butterbaugh was indicted on charges of aggravated possession of drugs and possession of a fentanyl-related compound, both originally filed as fifth-degree felonies. The indictment charges were later amended to two counts of fifth-degree felony possession.
In a separate case, Butterbaugh was indicted on a fifth-degree felony theft charge.
The court docket reflects multiple unsuccessful attempts to serve Butterbaugh with summonses earlier this year before the Ross County Prosecutor’s Office requested arrest warrants on July 15. The warrants were served following her arrest on July 27.
Butterbaugh is scheduled to appear for a criminal pretrial hearing on Aug. 27 before Judge Matthew S. Schmidt. The criminal cases remain pending, and the allegations have not been proven in court.
As with all criminal cases, Butterbaugh is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
