AUGUSTA — A New Jersey man who pleaded guilty to three aggravated drug-trafficking charges almost 11 months ago received a 16-year sentence.

Otis Daniel Tosen, 47, of Passaic, New Jersey, was ordered to serve and initial six years in prison, with the remainder suspended while he spends four years on probation.

The three $400 fines accompanying the convictions were suspended.

Tosen himself made his own sentencing argument in front of the judge on April 18. Over the course of the case, he had fired a handful of attorneys who represented him, and two were appointed as backup counsel for the sentencing hearing.

Tosen, who goes by the street names “Otis Bell” and “Slim,” and Kimberly Maldonado, who also is of Passaic, had been arrested by Maine Drug Enforcement Agency agents Dec. 12, 2014, in a hotel room in Augusta. Agents reported seizing an estimated $36,000 worth of drugs: 50 grams of crack cocaine, 150 grams of powder cocaine and 620 oxycodone pills.

The offenses occurred Dec. 10, 2014.

Tosen, who at one point was free on $100,000 cash bail with conditions that he remain in Maine, pleaded guilty June 8, 2017, to two counts of aggravated trafficking in cocaine base and one count of aggravated trafficking in oxycodone.

He agreed to forfeit $5,257 seized from him when he was arrested. He had been scheduled to go to trial and the was due for jury selection at the Capital Judicial Center in Augusta.

Tosen had previous convictions in Passaic — in February 1999 for manufacturing/distributing a controlled dangerous substance and in March 2010 for possession of controlled, dangerous substance.

In May 2016, Maldonado, now 50, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of scheduled drugs and was sentenced to 20 months in prison and fined $400. She also forfeited her interest in the $5,257 that was seized.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams