A Lincoln County grand jury indicted four people March 12 for allegedly importing and trafficking the narcotic fentanyl in Wiscasset.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is “up to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 30-50 times more powerful than heroin.”
Tabitha Brooks, 28, of Rochester, N.H.; Chad L. Hedman, 37, of Augusta; Fermin A. “Chevy” Sawtell, 39, of Bath; and Amy M. Varney, 20, of Woolwich, face charges.
Maine Drug Enforcement Agency personnel executed a search warrant in room 7A of the Schooner Inn in Wiscasset at about 4 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 25, 2014.
Sawtell and Varney were inside the room, allegedly packaging the drugs for resale, Special Agent Chad Carleton said in an affidavit. The agents recovered 4-5 grams of powder, two digital scales, two hypodermic needles, and packaging material.
Varney allegedly confessed, saying she and Sawtell had recently picked up the drugs in Rochester, N.H. and returned to sell them in the Bath and Wiscasset area, Carleton said. Varney said she and Sawtell had made similar trips about twice a week for a few months.
Court documents do not detail Brooks’ and Hedman’s involvement in the case.
Brooks faces a single count each of class B unlawful trafficking in schedule W drugs (fentanyl) and class C illegal importation of scheduled drugs.
Hedman faces a single count each of class B unlawful trafficking in schedule W drugs (fentanyl), class C illegal importation of scheduled drugs, and class D unlawful possession of schedule W drug (fentanyl).
Sawtell faces a single count each of class A aggravated trafficking in schedule W drugs (fentanyl), class C illegal importation of scheduled drugs, and class D misuse of public benefits instrument.
Varney faces a single count each of class B unlawful trafficking in schedule W drugs (fentanyl), class D misuse of public benefits instrument, and class D unlawful possession of schedule W drug (fentanyl).
A Lincoln County grand jury first indicted all four defendants Dec. 3, 2014. The charges were identical with the exception of the word “heroin” in place of “fentanyl.” The March 12 indictments replace the earlier indictments.
“The lab test came back and it wasn’t heroin, it was fentanyl,” said Assistant Attorney General Jamie Guerrette, the prosecutor for the state. “I think everybody believed we were dealing with heroin, from its appearance and everything else.”
The presence of fentanyl in Maine greatly concerns law enforcement and public health officials, according to Guerrette.
A number of years ago, “there was an epidemic of fentanyl being cut with heroin and it resulted in a lot of overdoses nationwide,” he said. A dose as small as a quarter-milligram can cause a fatal overdose, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Legal fentanyl comes in a patch or lozenge form or even in a lollipop, all forms that curb abuse, Guerrette said. The high-potency fentanyl powder available on the street comes from clandestine laboratories.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention blamed nonpharmaceutical fentanyl for 1,013 fatal overdoses from 2005-2007 in a study area consisting of just a few major cities.
“Last year, you started seeing it again, and we’re starting to see it in Maine as well, with straight-up fentanyl and fentanyl being cut with heroin – we’re seeing cases of that as well,” Guerrette said.
Just a week ago, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued a nationwide alert about the dangers of fentanyl and the “alarming rate” of recent overdoses.
Brooks’ arraignment will take place at 8:30 a.m., Friday, March 27.
Hedman is free on $5,000 unsecured bail. His bail conditions prohibit the possession or use of alcohol or illegal drugs and subject him to random searches and tests. His arraignment will take place at 2 p.m., Thursday, March 26.
Sawtell remains in custody at Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset in lieu of $20,000 cash bail. He has felony convictions for drug charges in Florida, which elevates the trafficking charge against him to class A. His arraignment will take place at 9 a.m., Thursday, March 26.
Varney is free on $250 cash bail. Her bail conditions impose a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew with exceptions for work, prohibit contact with Sawtell, prohibit the possession or use of alcohol or illegal drugs, require her to report daily by phone and weekly in person to Maine Pretrial Services, require her to live with her mother, require her to stay in Maine, require participation in substance abuse counseling, and subject her to random searches and tests. Her arraignment will take place at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, March 26.
Brooks denies the charges against her. “I’m not guilty,” she said in a brief phone conversation Tuesday, March 24. “I didn’t do what I’m being charged with.” She declined further comment.
Attorneys for Hedman and Sawtell did not respond to requests for comment. Varney’s attorney declined comment.
