A Butler County jury convicted Dillon James Trice, 34, of New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on one felony count of possession with intent to manufacture or deliver and one misdemeanor count of intentional possession of a controlled substance [1]. The prosecution arose from a drug seizure that state police later accidentally destroyed before trial, forcing the case to proceed without the physical narcotics, which included heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine [1]. The jury acquitted Trice on a second misdemeanor possession charge [1].
The destruction of the physical evidence placed an unusual evidentiary burden on the Commonwealth. Prosecutors relied on photographs of the seized contraband, chain-of-custody receipts, and officer testimony to establish the nature and quantity of the controlled substances [1]. The Butler County District Attorney's Office, represented by Zanella, brought the charges; defense counsel Zachary Coblentz contested the sufficiency of the remaining evidence [1]. The verdict came on June 24, 2026, following jury deliberations in Butler County Common Pleas Court before Judge Kubit [1].
Because Trice was convicted of a felony drug offense, he faces a sentencing hearing scheduled for July 16, 2026, at which Judge Kubit will determine the applicable sentence under Pennsylvania's Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act [1]. No post-trial motions or appeal filings were reported as of the verdict date [1].