Two men were arrested Thursday in Augusta on drug charges after police received a tip that one of them had booked a motel room in his own name.
Tarik Squire
Tarik Squire, 36, of Bronx, New York, and Eric Caswell, 41, of Oakland, were taken into custody at the Super 8 motel, after a Maine Drug Enforcement Agency agent learned that Squire was traveling from New York City to Maine with an unknown amount of narcotics.
Squire was charged with two counts of aggravated trafficking of heroin, two counts of aggravated trafficking of fentanyl powder and two counts of aggravated trafficking of cocaine base, or crack. The seventh count is a criminal forfeiture of $995.
Eric Caswell
Caswell was charged with aggravated trafficking and unlawful trafficking of heroin, and aggravated trafficking and unlawful trafficking of cocaine base.
Both men made their initial appearances at the Capital Judicial Center via video Friday, where bail for Squire was set at $75,000 with a number of conditions, and bail for Caswell was set at $2,500 with a number of conditions. Each is prohibited from contacting the other.
According the probable cause affidavit filed by Nathan Walker, special agent with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, a confidential informant said that Squire, who is also known by several aliases including T, was expected to arrive in Augusta on Thursday by bus with an unknown amount of drugs.
Walker wrote that Squire had traveled to Augusta a month earlier and stayed at the Motel 8 with a reservation using his own name and identification. He was also able to obtain phone numbers registered to Squire by his cellphone provider.
During that earlier visit, Squire was seen getting into a pickup truck registered to Caswell, who was driving Squire to and from his motel room.
On Thursday, MDEA agents were watching the bus, as well as the motel, where Squire had made a reservation and was due to check in, Walker wrote. A Maine State Police trooper and a drug-sniffing dog were waiting at the motel.
In the affidavit, Walker wrote that Squire arrived at the bus station at 4:20 p.m., got into Caswell’s truck and drove off. They arrived at the motel at 6 p.m., where police made contact. The drug-sniffing dog alerted on the odor of narcotics in the vehicle and on both men.
Both men were taken by Augusta Police to the police department, where Squire was found to have a shopping bag with five plastic bags containing 47.3 grams of heroin/fentanyl and 169.5 grams of cocaine base, a digital scale and $995.
Squire, who told police he sells drugs to support his family, has prior drug-related convictions dating back to 1999, including criminal sale of a controlled substance on school grounds, criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a gun, and two parole violations.
Caswell, according to the affidavit, told police he had recently completed a drug rehabilitation program and he was being paid by Squire for the use of his vehicle.
Bail for Squire initially was requested at $150,000, partly due to his lack of connection to the state, but he said Friday he has family in the state.
District Court Judge Geoffrey Rushlau set the bail at $75,000. Squire is also required to stay in Maine, not use or possess illegal drugs, be subject to random search and testing, stay away from Caswell and the Super 8 motel, and be subject to a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. Squire’s next court appearance is March 10.
Rushlau set Caswell’s bail at $2,500, with a Maine Pretrial Services contract not use or possess illegal drugs, be subject to random search and testing, stay away from Squire and the Super 8 motel and be subject to a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew, with exceptions for medical emergencies or substance abuse treatment. Caswell’s next court appearance is March 3.
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