Eight people were arrested on a variety of drug-related and other charges in Somerset County after officials from several agencies Thursday and Friday searched homes in Detroit, Palmyra and St. Albans, seizing drugs and making arrests.

Arrested were Raymond K. Ferris, 59, 511 Troy Road, Detroit; Amber Curtis, 23, Cassandra Howard-Shaw, 24, and Matthew Flood, 29, all of Newport; Warren LaPrell, 52, and Roni Twitchell, 47, both of 500 Main St., Palmyra; John Tripp, 47, 19 Mason Corner Road, St. Albans; Tony Dimeo, 34, of Dixmont.

The Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, federal Drug Enforcement Agency and Waterville police searched two houses around 8:15 a.m. Thursday in Detroit and Palmyra, seizing more than $13,000 worth of drugs and paraphernalia, according to a press release issued Saturday by Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster.

The Detroit search was conducted at Ferris’ Troy Road home, where authorities seized more than 100 30 mg oxycodone pills, 17 bags of heroin, marijuana, pills, drug-related paraphernalia and $594 in cash, the release says.

Ferris was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated trafficking in oxycodone one a class A and one a class B crime; possession of oxycodone, class C; and possession of heroin, class C. The charges were designated as aggravated because Ferris has a federal drug conviction and because of the amount of drugs seized, according to Lancaster.

At Ferris’ home, Curtis and Howard-Shaw were arrested on outstanding arrest warrants and Flood was arrested on two outstanding arrest warrants. Two other people were searched and released from the home.

“A large amount of drug-related paraphernalia used to process/inject illicit drugs, as well as other controlled pills, were seized from the residence,” the release says. “Once all items are tested/identified, further drug-related charges are anticipated to be filed against the persons present at the residence. The approximate street value of the drugs seized at the Ferris residence is $4,000.”

The Palmyra search of LaPrell and Twitchell’s Main Street home netted 372 pills, police said, including 240 30 mg oxycodone pills, 24 bags of heroin, marijuana, a small amount of cocaine, a loaded .25 semiautomatic pistol, drug-related paraphernalia and $346 in cash. LaPrell was arrested and charged with trafficking in oxycodone, a class B crime; possession of oxycodone, class C; and possession of heroin, class C.

Twitchell was charged with possession of a schedule W drug, Adderall, which is used to treat attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.

“More charges are anticipated, once all of the seized evidence is processed and identified,” the release says. “The approximate street value of the drugs seized is $9,000.”

The searches were the result of ongoing investigations in and around Somerset County.

“These raids have taken a substantial amount of illicit drugs off of the streets,” the release says. The release said agencies involved also included the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, the Waterville Police Department and the Newport Police Department.

Around 8:15 a.m. Friday, Somerset sheriff’s officials searched Tripp’s home in St. Albans, seizing hashish and hashish oil, marijuana, 111 pills including 27 oxycodone pills, and drug paraphernalia. The value of the drugs is $1,000, according to Lancaster.

Tripp was arrested and charged with possession of oxycodone, class C; possession of Adderall, a schedule W drug, class D; and an outstanding arrest warrant for which no bail is allowed. Further charges against Tripp are anticipated once the Somerset County district attorney’s office reviews the case and evidence seized is tested and weighed, the release says.

At the time of Tripp’s arrest, he was on administrative release with the district attorney’s office for drug-related convictions in 2014. In May, sheriff’s officials searched Tripp’s home because he reportedly was selling pills, the release says.

Dimeo was arrested Friday on an outstanding warrant related to a previous drug-related conviction. Newport police and the Maine State Police helped in the investigation.

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