Augusta woman to serve year in prison for heroin trafficking

AUGUSTA — There was an unusually long delay between Dominique Kirk, of Augusta, pleading guilty to a drug trafficking charge in March 2015 and Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, both at the Capital Judicial Center. And in the intervening 17 months, her sentence got a little longer.

Kirk, now 28, had pleaded guilty in March 2015 to a charge of unlawful trafficking in heroin, which occurred Sept. 11, 2014, in Augusta, and was scheduled for sentencing a month later. The sentence was to be four years in prison, with Kirk to serve up to nine months initially behind bars, and two years of probation.

Dominique Kirk

The plea agreement indicated that her attorney, Lisa Whittier, could argue for less time behind bars.

However, Kirk failed to turn up for the April 14, 2015, sentencing hearing, and a judge issued a warrant for her arrest, setting bail at $1,000 cash.

Information filed with the court by the prosecutor, Assistant Attorney General Katie Sibley, says Kirk was arrested July 8, 2015, by the Elmira City Police Department in New York on a misdemeanor charge of false impersonation.

Kirk was arrested June 27, 2016, on the warrant charging her with failure to appear and posted $1,000 cash bail. Five days later, she was arrested again on a charge of violating conditions of release.

On Wednesday, a judge sentenced Kirk to five years in prison, with all but one year suspended and two years of probation. That sentence was recommended jointly by Sibley and Whittier.

Kirk also was convicted of violation of conditions of release that occurred Aug. 1, 2016, in Augusta.

The judge suspended a $400 fine after Whittier argued that Kirk had limited resources and no job. Kirk told the judge she had seven children.

Kirk was ordered to pay $580 restitution to reimburse the state for laboratory fees and drug-buying money, Sibley said.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

[email protected]

Twitter: @betadams

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