Another defendant has pleaded guilty to being part of a conspiracy to bring drugs from New York to central Maine.
Denton Worrell, whom authorities said is nicknamed “LiL D,” 21, of Rochester, New York, pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Bangor to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine base.
A conviction on that charge carries up to 20 years in prison.
A warrant for Worrell’s arrest was issued in May 2017 following indictment by a federal grand jury, and he was arrested in late August 2017 after police got a tip he was staying in an Augusta apartment.
Worrell is one of 16 people facing federal conspiracy charges. He had initially pleaded not guilty.
All the federal defendants face charges of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, which are heroin, fentanyl and cocaine base. Several are charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and maintaining drug-involved premises from June 14, 2015, to March 9, 2017, in central Maine.
According to the prosecution’s version of events in Worrell’s case, “these Rochester individuals would stay with various Central Maine residents who would allow the drugs to be sold from their residences and assist the Rochester individuals in distributing, storing and transporting the narcotics throughout Central Maine.”
There were a dozen or more residence in the central Maine region where drugs were sold from during the height of the conspiracy’s activities, authorities said. The people who lived in these residences were paid in cocaine base or heroin for allowing the Rochester drug-sellers to stay in the homes and sell the drugs.
The document, filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Casey, says Worrell worked in central Maine for the leader of the conspiracy.
Other documents filed in federal court name Darrell Newton, 38, of Rochester, as the head of the conspiracy in Rochester. His case, along with a number of those indicted with him, remain on the July trial list.
Casey says the government has “audio and video of a controlled purchased made from (Worrell) at the residence of a co-conspirator in central Maine.”
Worrell remains in custody pending sentencing. He is represented by attorney Roger Brunelle Jr.
On April 9, 2018, Jason Folker, 42, also known as “Crazy,” of Gardiner, pleaded guilty to being part of the conspiracy, and the government said he allowed drug dealers to use his residence as a “trap house” where people could come and purchase drugs.
Betty Adams — 621-5631
Twitter: @betadams
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