A Brooklyn, N.Y. woman pleaded guilty to felony charges of importing and trafficking heroin Oct. 30 and was sentenced to four years in prison.
Amandalee Ayala, 28, had been in custody at Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset since her arrest in Wiscasset Aug. 10, 2013.
In a coordinated effort between the Wiscasset Police Department, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office, the rental car Ayala was traveling in was stopped and searched with the assistance of a K-9, according to court documents.
Ayala surrendered a sandwich bag containing 20.9 grams of heroin that had been concealed in her bra and confessed to Special Agent Jason Pease that she had been transporting heroin from New York to Maine with the intention of selling it.
Angel L. Miranda, 36, also of Brooklyn, was the driver of the car. Miranda pleaded guilty to felony charges of importing and trafficking heroin Jan. 30 and was sentenced to 3½ years, which he is serving at the Downeast Correctional Facility in Machiasport.
According to the Department of Corrections website, his earliest possible release date is May 30, 2016.
Ayala, after going through two court-appointed attorneys and more than a year in jail, pleaded guilty to class A aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs and Class C illegal importation of scheduled drugs Oct. 30.
Ayala was sentenced to 10 years in prison with all but four years suspended for the trafficking charge and four years for the importation charge, to be served concurrent to each other. She will serve three years of probation after her release.
Ayala must submit to random search and testing for alcohol and drugs, attend outpatient counseling for substance abuse, and pay $120 in restitution to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency while on probation. She was also ordered to pay a fine of $1,030 to the court during the first two years of her probation.
Class A crimes carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. Class C crimes carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $5,000 crime.
While at Two Bridges, Ayala worked toward obtaining her GED and completed a variety of educational programs, including active parenting, Houses of Healing Emotional Literacy, Women in History, and Women’s Health, among others, according to court documents. She also received an exemplary inmate work performance review in which she was applauded for her positive attitude and willingness to help others. She was transferred to the Maine Correctional Center in Windham Oct. 31.
According to the Maine Department of Corrections website, her earliest possible release date is Nov. 28, 2017.
