WATERVILLE, Maine — Cooperation with police saved a Waterville man from being arrested Sunday afternoon when police charged him with aggravated drug trafficking after they reportedly found more than 2½ pounds of marijuana in a safe.
Adam Bajpai, 20, was summoned for aggravated trafficking in a Schedule Z drug after more than 2 pounds of pot were discovered in a safe on North Street, according to Police Chief Joseph Massey, but the charge is a Class B felony charge punishable by up to 10 years in jail.
Police were originally dispatched to the 82 North St. apartment building for the report of a fight. When they arrived, there was no fight but several people were mingling outside the residence.
The female renter told police that Bajpai had been living in the cellar of the building and she wanted him gone.
That had made Bajpai upset and the two argued, according to Massey.
The woman wanted Bajpai gone because she believed he was selling drugs and told officers that Bajpai “had just picked up a pound of marijuana a few days prior to this incident,”
Officers searched a car in the driveway that belonged to another tenant but contained a safe belonging to Bajpai, Massey said. In the safe, officers found 2 pounds, 9 ounces of marijuana and approximately $1,386 in cash.
Police did not arrest Bajpai because he was cooperative with officers when confronted. The charge against him was elevated from a Class C felony to a Class B felony because the property is located within 1,000 feet of the Alfond Youth Center, Massey said.
The car’s owner was cooperative with police as well, Massey said, and a search of the vehicle and the building turned up no other drugs.
Bajpai’s first court appearance is Dec. 30 in Kennebec County Superior Court.
sounds like a 4th Amendment violation to me. Being bullied to open the safe…what a waste of money and time
“open it and if you have something in it you wont be arrested…make us get a warrant and you will be arrested”. Sounds like he was detained and under duress…police will never learn. Follow the rules….
Nowhere does it say he was bullied into opening it.
Nowhere does it say there is a pot of gold under that rainbow but we know that there is. I know you are a newbie into figuring out what cops do/say/act but get your head out of the clouds…..
see the definition of extortion:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extortion
well that pound of weed may lead them to the heroin and all the meds stolen from Rite Aid..you have better thing to do than bust the weed smokers…
What reason do you have to look in my safe? Because she said I have a pound of what??? No way!!
If I was a drug dealer I would know Maine’s laws regarding searches of dwellings and cars. Always tell the cops to get a warrant if they want to search, the Judge they go to might not like the gestapo tactics the cops like to use.
Just like speeding you can but you are going to get caught after awhile…
Well we all know what this man considered most valuable.
If you have a safe in your car, its probably not where you keep your tax records….
This guy could get 10 years for pot, and I just finished reading an article about a guy getting 8 years for rape. What is wrong with this picture?
Way to go Waterville PD!!!!! Thats right they can always get a warrant and don’t forget it.