ELLSWORTH, Maine — Nine of 18 people indicted last week by the Hancock County grand jury are facing charges of trafficking or possessing illegal drugs.
Gorham C. Clifton, 38 of Orland was indicted on charges stemming from a drug bust at his Gilpin Road home last December. In that bust, officers with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency allegedly seized 72 grams of heroin while executing a search warrant at the house.
Clifton is facing a Class A charge of aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs because of the quantity of drugs reportedly seized, as well as a Class B charge of unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs, and a Class C charge of unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, all of which are felonies.
Convictions for Class A crimes in Maine are punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. Class B crimes can result in a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $20,000, and Class C crimes are punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Three people were indicted on charges stemming from a drug bust in March on State Street in Ellsworth. On March 18, police discovered a suspected meth lab operation in an apartment directly across State Street from a playground when they conducted a bail check on someone in the apartment.
Kevin S. Chipman, 36, of Ellsworth; Russell W. Crossman, 35, of Southwest Harbor; Kevin M. Guptill, 30, of Surry; and Kinnane C. Hodgkins, 29, of Surry each were indicted on a Class B felony charge of unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs in connection with the incident.
Two others indicted are alleged to have been involved in another illegal drug transaction last fall, also in Ellsworth.
Tiffany M. Abbott, 30, of Hancock and Jarrod Burns, 31, of Ellsworth are accused of being involved in an Oct. 14 sale of 5 milligrams of oxycodone on Lakes Lane.
Abbott was indicted on charges of unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs, which is a Class B felony charge, and with unlawful furnishing of scheduled drugs and unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, both of which are Class C felonies. Burns was indicted on a charge of unlawful possession of scheduled drugs and a misdemeanor charge of falsifying physical evidence.
Two others charged in connection with the Oct. 14 incident have not been indicted.
Two people who live at the same address in Penobscot — Mark R. Gray, 44, and Rebecca A. Gray, 40 — were indicted on one count each of Class B charge of gross sexual assault. The charges stem from an incident on Oct. 16, 2013, in Penobscot, according to information released by the Hancock County District Attorney’s Office.
Attempts Monday to contact Hancock County District Attorney Matthew Foster for more details were unavailable.
Other people indicted June 4 include:
Daniel D. Carter, 34, Hancock, theft.
James H. Libby, 42, Surry, aggravated criminal trespass, assault, criminal mischief.
Roland E. Phippen, 47, Southwest Harbor, theft, unemployment fraud.
Zachary R. Rand, 24, Southwest Harbor, unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, violating conditions of release.
William H. Smeal, 29, Steuben, theft of services.
Peter E. Smith, 50, Blue Hill, aggravated operating a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicants, OUI, driving to endanger.
Kenneth W. Sprague, 43, Trenton, aggravated criminal mischief.
Richard C. Wallace, 57, Lamoine, unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs, unlawful furnishing of scheduled drugs, unlawful possession of scheduled drugs.
Mark A. Wescott, 51, Machiasport, theft.
