Eight people have been arrested and charged with drug trafficking offenses following a lengthy investigation, the Maine Department of Public Safety said in a Tuesday press release.
According to the press release, the arrests were made as a result of a months long investigation into the sale of “crack cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine” in central and mid-coast Maine.
The release specifically names Waldo, Kennebec, and Androscoggin counties as the operating range for the drug traffickers in question.
DPS states that the investigation entailed “many hours of surveillance, vehicle stops, undercover purchases of a variety of drugs from the group, as well as the execution of several search warrants.”
All but one of these arrests occurred during the past week.
Authorities seized more than $20,000 worth of drugs in connection with this investigation, including 175-plus grams of cocaine base and 60 grams of fentanyl.
The ages of those arrested range from 25 to 51, and seven of the eight people arrested are identified as Maine residents.
Stephon Davis, age 27 of Waterville, was charged with two counts of aggravated trafficking of fentanyl and one count of aggravated trafficking of cocaine base.
Baron Thomas, age 45 of Winslow, was charged with one count of trafficking fentanyl and one count of trafficking cocaine.
Meloney Moody, age 48 of Winslow, was charged with five counts of aggravated trafficking of cocaine, four counts of aggravated trafficking of fentanyl, and two counts of aggravated trafficking of methamphetamine.
Dawn Wilbur, age 51 of Winslow, was charged with one count of trafficking cocaine base and one count of felony possession of fentanyl.
Dominique Kirk, age 25 of Lewiston, was charged with two counts of aggravating trafficking of fentanyl and two counts of aggravated trafficking of cocaine base.
Allen James, age 41 of Waterville, was charged with one count of aggravated trafficking of cocaine base.
Alivia Gordon, age 25 of Jackson, was charged with one count of trafficking cocaine base.
The only non-Maine resident — Charles Hinton, age 45 of Savannah, Georgia — was charged with one count of trafficking cocaine base and one count of felony possession of fentanyl.