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Homeless man helps police collar theft suspect

By CURTIS KRUEGER
Published February 26, 2005

TAMPA - The police say Shawn Frasier, a homeless man, "may be down on his luck, but he's not stupid."

And that's the reason Karl Frederick Butterfield is now in jail.

Tampa police spokesman Joe Durkin said Butterfield asked Frasier on Thursday to do some painting for him. Along the way, he also asked Frasier to help him cash a check by going into the Fifth Third Bank at 4427 W Kennedy Blvd.

Why don't you just cash the check yourself? Frasier asked. Because I just had a run-in with the teller, Butterfield allegedly told him.

So Frasier went into the bank to cash the $377.85 check, but the teller said there was a problem. Frasier went back out to see Butterfield, and asked him to come inside. When he refused, Frasier realized the check probably was stolen, so he "dragged (Butterfield) into the bank in a headlock," police said.

Police were called, and determined that Butterfield had stolen checks from Ho-Ho's Restaurant, 533 S Howard Ave., where he had worked briefly, they said. He was arrested on charges of forgery, uttering a forged instrument, grand theft and petty theft.

But the case wasn't over. Friday, Tampa police said, they checked further and found Butterfield's real name - he had originally identified himself as Edward Howard Butterfield, instead of Karl Frederick Butterfield.

That, police said, led to their learning Butterfield, 37, also is wanted in Port Huron, Mich., on a negligent homicide charge. That case stems from a traffic accident in which he was accused of running a red light and smashing into another car, killing one person and injuring two others. He also is wanted in Pennsylvania on theft and conspiracy charges.

[Last modified March 2, 2005, 21:16:03]