AUGUSTA — Two people were each sentenced to four years behind bars Wednesday after they pleaded guilty to drug trafficking offenses during separate hearings at the Capital Judicial Center.
Heather M. “Ma Duke” Wilkinson, 50, of Augusta, was convicted of aggravated drug trafficking that occurred Jan. 20, 2016, in Augusta, and involved the sale of heroin. An additional four years was suspended, and she was ordered placed on probation for three years.
Justice Robert Mullen suspended half of the $400 fine, noting that Wilkinson would have limited ability to pay that amount.
Wilkinson was previously convicted in May 2015 of unlawful trafficking in drugs and was on probation at the time the new offense occurred.
The judge ordered the remaining 39 months of that sentence to be served concurrent to the new sentence.
Donald W. “DW” Morang Jr., 36, who is listed as living in Augusta and Chelsea in separate court documents, was convicted of unlawful trafficking in cocaine in the form of cocaine base and sentenced to a straight four-year jail term without probation.
In exchange for his guilty plea, three other drug trafficking charges were dismissed by the state.
The offense occurred March 24, 2016, in Augusta.
Morang was one of three people arrested when the Augusta Police Special Response and Tactics Team, with some members in camouflage clothing, entered an apartment on Mount Vernon Avenue in Augusta and executed a search warrant.
Police reported seizing more than 7 grams of crack cocaine and more than 5 grams of heroin in the apartment, the release said.
On Wednesday, Morang also pleaded guilty to two separate charges of theft that occurred Oct. 22, 2015, and Jan. 9, 2016, in Augusta, and was sentenced to 30 days in jail concurrent with the drug sentence. He was ordered to pay $15 in restitution for the thefts.
Morang has several prior convictions for drug trafficking.
Betty Adams — 621-5631
Twitter: @betadams
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