Cocaine, marijuana found inside violin suspect's home

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Law enforcement officials came to a Milwaukee home looking for a stolen Stradivarius violin, but instead, found massive amounts of drugs. Search warrants released this week detail a big surprise police discovered in an apartment building where Stradivarius suspect Salah Salahdyn lived.

The home is located on N. 1st Street in Milwaukee, and is where Salahadyn, said to be the mastermind behind the violin theft, lived. The home is one of about a half-dozen locations police searched while looking for the Stradivarius violin.

Nicole Bailey lives just across the street. Last week, she says local and federal officials spent hours removing drugs from the property.

"Pile, after pile, after pile.  It was coming out in stacks," Bailey said.

In total, 1.2 kilos (2.6 pounds) of cocaine and 1.6 kilos (3.5 pounds) of marijuana were found. The drugs have dollar values of approximately $90,000 for the cocaine and $2,800 for the marijuana.

It happened after police executed a search warrant on February 3rd to look for the missing violin. Apartment number 303 is where Salahadyn lived -- and he is one of two suspects arrested for the crime involving the violin, and the target of this search warrant.

"He was a nice guy - kept the place clean.  Every time I needed to pay rent, he was right there," a tenant told FOX6 News.

Tenants say Salahadyn worked as the building's manager.

The search warrant included searching not only Salahadyn's apartment, but also the building's common areas, like the basement storage units.

Building owners told police the storage units haven't been used for some time, but investigators found a 9 mm gun, paraphernalia like plastic bags and scales and the drugs.

A suitcase with a 34-year-old man's name on it was discovered in the building, and that man was arrested in the drug case. He hasn't been formally charged for the crime, but police say he has been convicted of prior drug crimes. His girlfriend reportedly rents a unit in Salahadyn's building.

The building's owner tells FOX6 News he is shocked by everything. He says Salahadyn was a great worker who kept the place clean -- and says there were no visible problems in the building that would have made anyone suspect drugs in the basement.

The building's owner says Salahadyn worked there for a few years.