Orneville bust nets $110,000 in drugs

DOVER-FOXCROFT – One of the largest seizures of mixed drugs in the history of the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Department was made Wednesday after a raid at an Orneville mobile home.

Sheriff’s Department investigators and Maine Drug Enforcement agents seized 11/2 pounds of hashish, 35 pounds of dried marijuana buds, and 12 grams of cocaine from the Route 11 home of Bradley Stone, 42, and Melissa Spinney, 35.

The street value of the drugs is estimated at $110,000, Piscataquis County Sheriff John Goggin said Thursday. He said the value was so high because the marijuana buds have a high concentration of THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the main active chemical in marijuana.

Both Stone and Spinney, as well as Robin Neal, 40, of Brownville, who was visiting the couple, were arrested. Stone, a self-employed wood cutter who has a prior drug conviction, was charged with violation of conditions of release, trafficking in cocaine, trafficking in marijuana, and unlawful possession of cocaine. Spinney, who is unemployed, was charged with trafficking in cocaine and marijuana and with unlawful possession of cocaine. Neal, who also is unemployed, was charged with trafficking in cocaine.

Stone and Spinney made their initial court appearances on the charges Thursday in 13th District Court in Dover-Foxcroft. Stone’s bail was set at $15,000 surety or $5,000 cash. Bail for Spinney was set at $10,000 unsecured.

Neal was released from jail Wednesday evening after posting a $350 cash bail. Her initial court appearance was set for July 20 in Piscataquis County Superior Court.

The drug investigation is ongoing and Goggin said there may be more arrests.

“It just goes to show there still is a significant outlet for drugs within our county,” Goggin said. “We’re just going to be more vigilant because this stuff is moving into the neighborhood.”

The Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Department received information about Stone that resulted in a search warrant being obtained and executed on his property Wednesday, according to Goggin. Seven Piscataquis County officers and five Maine Drug Enforcement agents participated in the search, he said.

Goggin said three bags of marijuana buds were found in a plastic trash can in a bedroom and the other drugs were scattered throughout the mobile home. Police believe cocaine was being processed inside the home to make crack because some residue was found on a spoon and on a stove. The officers also found a bag of marijuana buds in Stone’s 1994 Ford Ranger pickup truck, which was later impounded.

Police also seized about $700 in cash.