BANGOR, Maine — A Superior Court judge on Friday set bail at $50,000 cash for a man who allegedly told police he had made methamphetamine at least 100 times over the past seven months.
Nicholas Champagne, 23, of East Millinocket, was charged Thursday with Class A aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs and violation of bail after local police and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency shut down Champagne’s alleged methamphetamine lab on Main Street.
MDEA Commander Peter Arno said Friday in an email the call from East Millinocket police for assistance was the 30th time this year officers have responded to a “meth-related incident.” In 2014, MDEA agents assisted in 37 such incidents, he said.
Champagne remained Friday night at the Penobscot County Jail on the bail violation charge. He is accused of violating his bail on a methamphetamine possession charge that stemmed from an incident in July. A hearing on that charge is scheduled for next week. Once the bail violation charge is resolved, Champagne would have to post $50,000 cash to be released.
In a separate case, three people arrested earlier this week in Brewer for allegedly manufacturing methamphetamine 390 feet from St. Teresa’s Park on South Main Street also made their first appearances Friday before Justice Ann Murray.
Jennifer Beaulieu, 21, and Benjamin McGary, 22, both of Brewer, and Adam Freeman, 29, of Hampden, were arrested Wednesday and charged with aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs. It is a Class A crime because the alleged meth lab was so close to a park, which is considered to be a “safe zone.”
Brewer police began investigating activities at the house after neighbors reported a lot of activity there at odd hours, according to the affidavit. On Tuesday, police went through the trash for that address and found items used to manufacture methamphetamine, including cut lithium batteries, empty blister packages for pseudoephedrine, empty Coleman fuel containers and empty muriatic acid containers.
Police searched the residence the next day and arrested the trio.
Bail on Friday was set for Beaulieu, McGary and Freeman at $25,000 cash.
None of the defendants were asked to enter pleas to the charges because they have not yet been indicted by the Penobscot County grand jury. Their next court dates are in October.
If convicted on the Class A trafficking charge, Champagne, Beaulieu, McGary and Freeman all face up to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $50,000.
BDN writer Nick Sambides Jr. contributed to this report.