A Burnham man is facing three felony charges after police found him in possession of fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana at a Palmyra motel, according to a news release Tuesday from the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office.

“This is yet another example of the prevalence of opiate based drugs in our local area,” Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster said in the release. “The fact that fentanyl was present for sale, which is an extremely deadly opiate and responsible for hundreds of overdose deaths across our country, is particularly alarming to the law enforcement community.”

Sean Ludden, 45, was staying in a room rented by someone else at Lovely’s Motel when Detective Jeremy Leal was sent there around 11 p.m. Friday in response to a report of disturbance at the room, the release said.

When Leal arrived at the motel, he found the door to the room slightly open and saw Ludden sitting at a desk with what appeared to be a large amount of drug paraphernalia, pill bottles, marijuana and syringes.

A woman also was sitting in the room and another woman, Carol Rundlett, emerged from the bathroom when Leal entered, the release said.

Also in the room were plastic containers containing a white powder and what Leal believed to be packaged marijuana.

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When asked about the drugs, Sean Ludden stated they were fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana, the release said. A ledger that contained people’s names and dollar amounts also was found and some of the illegal drugs were packaged for sale, police said.

Ludden was arrested on three felony charges of unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, including possession of fentanyl, a schedule W drug, class C; possession of cocaine, a schedule W drug, class C; and possession of more than 8 ounces of marijuana, class D.

Rundlett was arrested on two outstanding warrants for failure to appear in court and unpaid fines.

Both she and Ludden were taken to the Somerset County Jail in East Madison.

Leal was assisted by Somerset Cpl. Ritchie Putnam, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Newport Police Department and Maine State Police. The case remains under investigation, and consultation with the Somerset District Attorney’s Office may result in additional charges, the release said.

At the request of the motel’s owner, the occupants were issued notices not to be at or return to Lovely’s Motel.


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