ROCKLAND, Maine — A Cushing man will remain at the Knox County Jail, more than a month after he was arrested in a drug bust at his home near the Cushing Community School, after a judge refused to lower his bail on Thursday.
Anthony Langille, 44, was arrested Oct. 4 and charged with Class A aggravated trafficking in heroin. His bail was initially set at $5,000 cash, but at his initial court appearance, District Court Judge Susan Sparaco lowered it to $1,000 cash.
Langille, through his attorney Dale Lavi, asked Superior Court Judge Daniel Billings on Thursday to lower bail to at least $500 cash and possibly $250. Lavi said his client does not have enough money to meet $1,000, and $500 would be a challenge.
Assistant Attorney General Kate Sibley argued against reducing the bail, saying it was already unusually low for a Class A offense that carries a mandatory minimum of four years in prison.
The prosecutor pointed out that Langille has a lengthy criminal record dating back to 1995. His convictions include multiple drug offenses. He was arrested as part of a drug bust in June 2006 and a drug bust in December 2005.
In the most recent bust last month, five people, including two men from New York, were arrested. Police allegedly found more than 40 grams of heroin, packaging materials and about $10,000 in suspected drug proceeds. The approximate street value of the seized heroin is $15,000.
Lavi said Langille was not a threat to run, having lived in the area since 1990. He works as a fisherman and has three children who are now in the custody of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, the defense attorney said.
The prosecutor pointed out that the children were home when the house was being used for drug trafficking.