WATERVILLE, Maine — Three people, including two New York City men, were nabbed Tuesday afternoon in a major drug bust, according to police.
Police had executed a search warrant at a Ticonic Street apartment rented by Linda Batissa, 27, of Waterville thanks to an investigation that drugs were being sold there, according to Waterville police Chief Joseph Massey.
As police were searching the apartment, a pickup truck was circling the block several times and eventually stopped near the residence, Massey said.
Police recognized the driver as 37-year-old Jesse Broz of Bronx, N.Y., and made a traffic stop, Massey said. A search of Broz turned up an undisclosed amount of Suboxone pills, Xanax and a gram of crack cocaine, while a search of Broz’s 31-year-old passenger, Mark Hilliard, turned up $160 in counterfeit cash and $1,700 in legitimate cash, Massey said.
In the apartment, police were able to find 6 ounces of crack cocaine, 493 30-milligram oxycodone pills, 3 grams of cocaine powder, 46 bags of heroin and a small amount of marijuana thanks to the search warrant, the police chief said.
Police wound up arresting all three suspects on multiple charges, Massey said.
Batissa is facing three counts of aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs, a Class A felony, along with misdemeanor charges of unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, possession of marijuana and the sale and use of drug paraphernalia. Her bail was set at $50,000, which Massey said we reduced to $25,000 at her arraignment on Wednesday.
Broz is accused of three misdemeanor counts of unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, and his bail was set at $1,500 cash.
Hilliard was charged with three counts of unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, aggravated forgery and unlawful possession of scheduled drugs. His bail was set at $150,000.
All three suspects remain at the Kennebec County Jail Thursday.
