TRENTON, Maine — What began as a traffic stop on Friday on Route 230 ended with the arrests of a local couple and a Connecticut man, Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Stephen McCausland said Tuesday.
Ronald Golden, 31, of Meriden, Connecticut, and 28-year-old Austin Kleffman of Trenton both were charged with aggravated trafficking in heroin, a Class A felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.
The charges against the two were elevated to aggravated because of the amount of heroin seized, McCausland said. Bail for Golden was set at $2,500 cash, and Kleffman’s bail was set at $1,000 cash.
Ajha Stanley, 20, of Tremont was charged with unlawful possession of heroin and violating the conditions of her release from a prior arrest. Her bail for the drug charge was set at $400 cash, McCausland said.
Friday’s arrests were the result of a joint investigation between the Maine Marine Patrol and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, McCausland said.
Marine Patrol Specialist Sean Dow and Marine Patrol Officer Richard Derboghosian stopped a vehicle on Route 230 after they allegedly saw it being operated erratically.
Golden, who was driving, held a suspended Connecticut driver’s license and was not authorized to operate a motor vehicle. With Golden in the vehicle were Kleffman, Stanley and a fourth person who was not charged, McCausland said. All three of Golden’s passengers were on bail for various offenses.
Agents from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency’s Down East Task Force in Ellsworth and Hancock County sheriff’s deputies assisted with the bust.
About 200 bags of heroin were allegedly seized from one of the passengers, but agents determined that those bags were part of a larger amount, estimated at 750 bags, allegedly brought into Maine by Golden for resale in Hancock and Penobscot counties. The street value of the heroin was $8,000.
Also allegedly seized was about $1,100 cash.