A Phoenix woman who has worked for top Arizona Republicans and is now a political fundraiser is facing numerous felony drug charges after Maricopa County sheriff's deputies raided the home she shares with her live-in boyfriend and two children.
Sheriff's spokesman Det. Doug Matteson says 35-year-old Emily Pitha was arrested Tuesday afternoon after her boyfriend signed for a package containing more than 250 grams of ecstasy.
Undercover detectives and U.S. Postal Inspectors raided the north-central Phoenix home after the delivery.
Matteson says detectives also found methamphetamines, LSD, heroin, cocaine, what appeared to be a meth lab, numerous chemicals and a large amount of cash. He also says drugs were "all over the home" and easily accessible by the 5- and 10-year-old children living there.
Pitha declined to talk to deputies and was being booked into jail late Tuesday. Her boyfriend, 36-year-old Christopher Hustrulid, also was jailed.
Neighbors said they are relieved that the discovery was made.
"He seems like a great guy, but I think that is what allows it to be successful-- you don't look like the stereotype," said neighbor Jack Griffin. “I would never believe that. But when you see things like this on the news, no neighbor thinks their neighbor is doing something like that. You just have to be cautious."
Hustrulid’s LinkedIn account says he was a procurement liaison.
Pitha is currently a consultant arranging fundraisers for Sen. John McCain. Her LinkedIn profile says she's previously worked for Sen. Jeff Flake and former senator Jon Kyl.
"Following Sen. Kyl's retirement, Emily Pitha was retained as a constituent services representative in the Phoenix office from January through March 2013," the communications director for Sen. Flake's office said in a statment.
My Det's seized large drug shipment from Europe,2 arrests,meth lab, xplosive material, many drugs involved. pic.twitter.com/s1OIOMKwbr
— Joe Arpaio (@RealSheriffJoe) April 27, 2016
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