Former Calais basketball star summoned for shoplifting

BANGOR – A Husson College student and former basketball standout was allegedly caught shoplifting at a Bangor store Wednesday.

Morgan A. Drew, 18, a former star athlete at Calais High School, reportedly had stuffed three pairs of underwear, socks, a man’s hat, a belt and golf gear into her purse while at T.J. Maxx ‘N More, 615 Broadway, at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Bangor police said Thursday. The items’ value totaled $85.92.

Loss prevention personnel at the store told police they had seen Drew conceal the items in her purse and walk past the checkout counter and out of the store before they stopped her and escorted her back to the store’s office, Bangor police Officer Dennis Lally said.

“Morgan Drew was very polite and told me ‘I’m sorry. I don’t know why I tried to take those things,'” the officer said. “I escorted Ms. Drew out to the cruiser where I wrote her a summons for theft.”

Drew was charged with Class E theft and the merchandise was returned to the store.

Drew is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in Washington County Superior Court to a charge of Class B burglary and Class D theft. That sentence could carry up to 10 years in jail for the burglary charge and up to one year in prison for the charge of theft.

Drew spent 48 hours in jail in late October for violating her bail by contacting a person with whom she allegedly had committed the burglary during her senior year at Narraguagus High School. The two were arrested by Washington County sheriff’s deputies on Oct. 27 as they attempted to drive back to Husson together.

Drew, now a freshman, was a member of the women’s basketball team at the school before the October arrest. Braves head coach Harold Williams said the woman’s arrest on the charges violated Husson’s student code of conduct and she was suspended from the team indefinitely.

Contacted Thursday night, Williams said he had not known of the alleged shoplifting and claimed he had not had contact with Drew for quite some time. “She’s really not part of the team,” he said. “She doesn’t practice with us or take part in any of the games. She is still a student here, though.”

Drew will appear in 3rd District Court in Bangor on Jan. 17 for the Class E theft charge.