BANGOR, Maine — A man from Bronx, New York, and a Veazie woman were arrested Thursday evening on suspicion of distributing oxycodone from a city motel, according to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Meredith Perrone, 32, and Steve Abreau, 25, were charged with trafficking oxycodone, a Class B felony, according to MDEA Cmdr. Peter Arno.
Both appeared Friday afternoon before District Court Judge John Lucy by video conference from the Penobscot County Jail. Neither Abreau nor Perrone were asked to enter pleas because they have not yet been indicted by the Penobscot County grand jury.
Lucy set bail for Abreau at $50,000 cash because the New York man has no significant ties to the Bangor area. The judge also said he considered Abreau to be a flight risk.
Bail for Perrone was set at $2,500 cash.
The investigation highlights the continued issue with out-of-state drug dealers coming to Maine for the purpose of trafficking contraband.
As part of an investigation spanning several months, drug agents garnered information the pair were involved in distribution of oxycodone from a room at the Comfort Inn on Bangor Mall Boulevard, Arno said.
The investigation included an undercover purchase, which resulted in the execution of a search warrant Thursday, Arno said. The subsequent search allegedly turned up 260 oxycodone pills worth $8,000 and nearly $40,000 in suspected drug money.
Bangor police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration assisted in the investigation, which is likely to yield more arrests, Arno said.
If convicted, Abreau and Perrone each face up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $20,000. They also could be ordered to forfeit the seized cash if found guilty.
BDN writer Judy Harrison contributed to this report.
