But you still need to activate your account.
Sign in or Subscribe to view this content.
MACHIAS – Of the 23 people the Washington County grand jury indicted Tuesday, 14 are charged with trafficking in cocaine or prescription narcotics.
Assistant Attorney General Matt Erickson, who prosecutes felony drug cases in Washington, Hancock, Penobscot and Piscataquis counties, said the Washington County indictments are the first time he’s seen people charged with drug crimes outnumber those indicted for other crimes.
All but three of the 14 are charged with trafficking in Dilaudid or OxyContin, the prescription painkillers sometimes referred to locally as Washington County heroin.
Prescription drug abuse in Washington County has gone beyond a law enforcement problem and has become a community health problem, according to Darrell O. Crandall, the Washington County task force supervisor for the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Crandall said Tuesday drug indictments are the result of cooperative investigations by MDEA, the Washington County Sheriff’s Department and the Pleasant Point Police Department.
All 14 drug defendants allegedly sold the cocaine or painkillers to confidential informants, Erickson said. Confidential informants are people who’ve been arrested on drug charges and who agree to make undercover drug buys in hopes of receiving a lighter sentence.
The 14 drug defendants are charged with 21 crimes.
Timothy Dean, 41, and Velma Dean, 40 of Columbia Falls and 37-year-old Janice Grant of Machiasport were each charged with trafficking in cocaine.
The trio allegedly sold the drug in Machiasport on Oct. 21. Grant was also charged with trafficking in a Schedule W drug in connection with her alleged sale of OxyContin in Machiasport on Oct. 26.
Corey Williams, 25, of Calais was indicted on two charges of aggravated trafficking in Schedule W drugs. Williams allegedly sold Dilaudid to an informant in Calais on Aug. 28 and Sept. 19. The aggravating factors were William’s 1994 conviction for trafficking in Schedule X drugs and the fact that the alleged drug sales took place within 1,000 feet of Calais Middle School.
The grand jury charged Beverly Kerr, 21, of Calais with two counts of aggravated trafficking in Schedule W drugs. Kerr allegedly sold Dilaudid to a confidential informant on Aug. 25 and Sept 6. The aggravating factor was that the sale took place within 1,000 feet of Calais Middle School.
Erickson said Williams and Kerr allegedly sold the drugs in an apartment near the school.
Everett Demmons, 36, of Machias was indicted on one charge of trafficking in Schedule W drugs and one count of criminal forfeiture. Demmons allegedly sold Dilaudid to a confidential informant in Machias on Oct. 11. The charge of criminal forfeiture refers to $1,960 that Demmons allegedly made from drug sales.
The grand jury charged Michael Lunn, 28, of Baring with two counts of trafficking in Schedule W drugs. Lunn allegedly sold Dilaudid in Calais on Aug. 31 and Sept. 5. The sales allegedly took place within 1,000 feet of Calais Middle School.
Dawn James, 26, of Baileyville was indicted for trafficking in Schedule W drugs. James allegedly sold OxyContin to a confidential informant in Baileyville on Aug. 23.
The grand jury charged James Huntley, 20, of Machiasport with two counts of trafficking in Schedule W drugs. Huntley allegedly sold methadone to a confidential informant on Oct. 1 and OxyContin on Oct. 21. Both sales took place in Machiasport.
Tammy Bailey, 20, of Calais was charged with one count of trafficking in Schedule W drugs and one count of criminal forfeiture. Bailey allegedly sold OxyContin in Machiasport on Oct. 5. The forfeiture charge reflects the $2,077 that Bailey allegedly made from drug sales.
The grand jury charged Whilelmina “Minga” Lewey, 36, of Bangor with trafficking in Schedule W drugs. Lewey allegedly sold Dilaudid to a confidential informant at Indian Township on Sept. 1.
Annmarie Goodwin, 31, of Baileyville was indicted for trafficking in Schedule W drugs. Goodwin allegedly sold Dilaudid in Calais on Aug. 30.
The grand jury indicted Christopher Francis, 24, of Perry on trafficking in Schedule W drugs. Francis allegedly sold Dilaudid to a confidential informant in Whitneyville on Oct. 11.
Paul Joseph Tomah, 43, of Princeton was indicted for trafficking in Schedule W drugs for allegedly selling Dilaudid at Indian Township on Sept. 21.
In other indictments, the grand jury charged Justin McVay, 19 of Calais on six charges in connection with a July break-in at Calais High School. McVay and a juvenile allegedly caused more than $50,000 in damage to the high school.
McVay was charged with burglary, aggravated criminal mischief, burglary of a motor vehicle, and two counts of theft.
The grand jury also indicted McVay for burglary, theft and criminal mischief in connection with an Oct. 8 burglary in Calais.
The grand jury also returned the following indictments:
Randy E. Morang, 30, Edmunds, aggravated assault and assault.
Brian O. Spear, 24, Dennysville, aggravated assault and assault.
Brian Stanwood, 38, Steuben, possession of a firearm by a felon.
Robert Adams, 20, Baileyville, failure to appear.
Jayson M. Stephens, 32, Appleton, Wis., two counts of habitual offender and one count of failure to appear.
Jill D. Hayman, 23, Brookton, theft.
Jeffrey J. Glantz, 34, Calais, habitual offender and violating the conditions of release.
Kevin A. Johnson, 26, Eastport, theft by deception and theft.
Comments
comments for this post are closed