AUGUSTA — A predawn raid Wednesday at a Belgrade home resulted in the arrest of homeowner Tammy Peaslee, 48, and Joshua Martinez, 22, of Brooklyn, New York, on drug trafficking charges.
Both defendants are charged with aggravated trafficking in more than 6 grams of heroin, unlawful trafficking cocaine base and criminal forfeiture of $3,845 in cash.
Peaslee also faces a charge of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person because of a 1992 robbery conviction.
According to an affidavit by Maine Drug Enforcement Agency Special Agent Nathan Walker, which was filed at the Capital Judicial Center, a 9 mm handgun was found between the mattresses in Peaslee’s bedroom.
Some 10.5 grams of heroin, 30 grams of cocaine base and cash were seized from the bedroom Martinez was using, Walker wrote.
The raid took place at 3 a.m. Wednesday.
Walker wrote, “Joshua Martinez is in the state of Maine, Town of Belgrade, with the sole purpose of illegal trafficking in scheduled drugs.”
Walker also said that Peaslee is “a willing participant of the illegal trafficking in scheduled drugs from her residence.”
Peaslee and Martinez were seem separately in court Wednesday via video from the Kennebec County jail, where Judge Thomas Nale set bail at $25,000 for both with conditions that include no use or possession of drugs. Both are restricted to the state of Maine if they post bail and are prohibited from contact with each other.
Their next court date is Jan. 10, 2019.
In arguing for that bail, Assistant Attorney General Katie Sibley recited Peaslee’s criminal history dating back to 1989, which includes the robbery, thefts, burglary of motor vehicles and other charges.
Attorney Stephen Bourget, acting as lawyer of the day, suggested $1,000 cash bail.
“Miss Peaslee’s been in Maine all her life,” he said. “She recognizes she has criminal convictions. She is changing her ways.”
Bouget said Peaslee told him she knows nothing about a gun except that one was found at her house as were drugs.
“She didn’t do anything, she says,” he added.
Sibley countered by saying, “The state finds it hard to believe she didn’t know” about the gun under her mattress. Bourget said Peaslee told him she sleeps on the couch in the living room.
Nale said he agreed with the state’s request for bail because of his concerns about community safety, the possibility of flight, the seriousness of the charges, and the fact that a weapon was found in the bed.
He said he had similar concerns about Martinez. Sibley said the gun found in Peaslee’s room was loaded and additional ammunition was found in the room where Martinez was found. She also said she was concerned that there is no way to enforce Maine bail conditions on Martinez if he posts bail and returns to New York.
Sibley said Martinez is on probation in New York for attempted criminal possession of a loaded weapon.
Betty Adams — 621-5631
Twitter: @betadams
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