AUGUSTA — A New York man and an Augusta woman spent the weekend in Kennebec County jail on drug trafficking charges stemming from incidents in Waterville in November 2017.
Jahsun Campbell, 28, and Shantasia N. Bethea-Lucas, 26, were arrested Friday afternoon and held in lieu of $50,000 cash bail that was set with the arrest warrant.
Campbell, of Bronx, New York, is charged with two counts of aggravated trafficking in cocaine base, one on Nov. 1, 2017, and one on Nov. 14, 2017. Police say both drug transactions took place near property designated as a drug-free “safe zone.”
Bethea-Lucas, of Augusta, is charged with two counts of unlawful trafficking in cocaine base, both on Nov. 14, 2017.
They made initial court appearances Monday at the Capital Judicial Center via video link with the jail. At that hearing, Judge Eric Walker ordered bail of $10,000 cash with a Maine Pretrial Services contract for Campbell, the amount requested by Assistant District Attorney Chris Coleman.
According to an affidavit by Waterville Police Officer Daryl Gordon, two other officers using a confidential informant conducted a controlled buy of 0.60 crack cocaine from a man known as “Tory” on Nov. 1, 2017. Gordon said Campbell was later identified as Tory. The transaction allegedly occurred at 18 Summer St., Waterville, and Gordon wrote that Bethea-Lucas, known as “Olivia,” was with him at the time. The affidavit doesn’t specify what “safe zone” property the drug transaction allegedly occurred near.
A similar transaction with a “cooperating defendant” involving 0.50 grams of crack cocaine occurred Nov. 14, 2017, at the same location, Gordon wrote.
Bethea-Lucas is accused of involvement in two separate sales of crack cocaine, one on Kennedy Memorial Drive and the other on Summer Street, both in Waterville. At her hearing, Bethea-Lucas told the judge she uses the last name of Bethea. She was represented by Stephen Bourget, acting as lawyer of the day.
Walker set her bail at $5,000 unsecured, as requested by Coleman, with conditions prohibiting her from use and possession of illegal drugs. Coleman said Bethea had successfully completed a deferred disposition on a 2015 shoplifting charge.
Her next hearing on the new charges is also set for May 17.
On Monday, Coleman requested a condition indicating that Campbell remain in Maine after noting that there was a possible bail hold on Campbell out of New York.
Attorney Lisa Whittier, representing Campbell as lawyer of the day, said she would reserve argument on bail.
Campbell’s next court hearing is set for 2 p.m. May 17, and Walker said bail could be reviewed sooner if Campbell or his attorney requested it.
Betty Adams — 621-5631
Twitter: @betadams
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