AUGUSTA — Police arrested four local residents in two drugs busts this week.

Police used a search warrant Thursday at a Noyes Court apartment in Augusta and arrested Jennifer D’Alessandro, 33, of Augusta, and Karon Baker, 41, of Gardiner, on charges of aggravated and unlawful trafficking in schedule W drugs, cocaine and heroin.

Baker was charged with two counts of aggravated trafficking in cocaine and two counts of aggravated trafficking in heroin.

D’Alessandro was charged with one count each of aggravated trafficking in cocaine and heroin, and one count each of unlawful trafficking in cocaine and heroin.

Police investigated after they received complaints from neighbors of D’Alessandro’s Noyes Court apartment that a large number of people were coming to the apartment and staying for only short periods of time, at all hours of the day, according to an affidavit from Augusta police Detective Matthew Estes.

An informant told police D’Alessandro “middles” drug deals and allows drug dealers to use her residence to sell drugs, according to the affidavit. Baker, also known as “Cali,” reportedly had been seen visiting the Noyes Street apartment on numerous occasions. Police allege he processed cocaine into cocaine base, and packaged heroin, at the residence.

Police searched D’Alessandro’s residence and detained Baker on Willow Street after he had left the Noyes Court site.

The affidavit states police found heroin and cocaine in the apartment, and found 102.89 grams of cocaine base and 12.85 grams of heroin in small plastic bags on Baker.

Two of the charges against the pair were elevated to “aggravated” because the Noyes Court apartment was within 1,000 feet of the east side boat landing, which is a designated drug-free zone. And two of the charges against Baker were elevated because the weight of the drugs, according to the affidavit.

Bail for Baker, in his initial court appearance Friday, was set at $75,000 cash; while D’Alessandro’s bail was set at $5,000 cash or $1,000 with a Maine Pretrial Services contract.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated case Wednesday following multiple drug buys by two informants working with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Jessica Nelson, 42, of Augusta, was arrested in Augusta and charged with 11 counts of unlawful trafficking in schedule W drugs.

Nelson, on eight different occasions, allegedly sold drugs to informants, in the period from May 12, 2017, to Wednesday. Police allege she sold heroin and cocaine on May 12, 2017, in Augusta; cocaine and what was alleged to be heroin but which testing, police said, showed to be fentanyl on May 25, 2017, in Augusta; heroin, Jan. 25 in Winthrop; cocaine and heroin, Feb. 13 in Winthrop; cocaine and what police believe to be heroin, fentanyl or both, Feb. 28 in Augusta; and cocaine and what police believe to be heroin, fentanyl or both, Wednesday in Augusta.

She was arrested after the Wednesday alleged drug buy, when police pulled over an SUV in which she was a passenger in the parking lot of Country Farm market on Mount Vernon Avenue, driven by Robert Greig, 32, of Augusta, according to an affidavit from officer Nathan Walker.

The affidavit said Greig asked if he had anything on his person and admitted to having a small bag of heroin in his pocket. He was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of heroin and two counts of violating conditions of release.

The pair made their initial court appearances Friday at the Capital Judicial Center. Bail for Nelson was set at $20,000 cash. Greig’s bail was set at $500 cash.

Keith Edwards — 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @kedwardskj

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