AUGUSTA — Two men recently arrested on drug trafficking charges allegedly sold crack cocaine to an informant working with Augusta police.
On Tuesday, officers from the Augusta Police Department, accompanied by agents of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, executed a search warrant at an apartment at 17 Summer St., where they arrested Zachary Magee, 31, of Winthrop, and Samuel Barrows, 27, of Augusta, on charges of unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs.
The search — in which police said they seized guns, money, drugs and contraband — followed two separate purchases of cocaine base, also known as crack, at the home by an informant working with police. Officials declined to reveal what kind of drugs or contraband they seized and the amount of money, drugs and guns they seized.
An affidavit filed by Augusta Detective Benjamin Murtiff states that at the direction of police, the unidentified informant contacted Magee on Dec. 19 through text messages and phone calls, requesting to purchase $50 worth of cocaine base, and Magee agreed to meet with him at Barrows’ residence, the 17 Summer St. apartment.
An MDEA agent drove the informant to the area of that residence, and the informant went into the building and returned a few minutes later with a plastic corner baggie containing a hard, white substance Murtiff said he recognized as cocaine base. He said it later tested positive for cocaine base, with a weight of 0.5 grams. The informant told police they handed Barrows the $50 and Magee handed over the bag of crack.
On Dec. 22, Murtiff again directed the informant to make contact with Magee about purchasing illegal drugs, and the informant texted Magee to make arrangements. The informant, fitted with an electronic monitoring device, again went to the 17 Summer St. apartment where, the affidavit states, Magee weighed out what was later to be determined to be 1.21 grams of crack, took the $100 and gave the informant the bagged drugs.
Murtiff’s affidavit said he later attempted to review video footage, but for unknown reasons the electronic monitoring device had only recorded audio of the controlled drug buy.
Magee was charged with two counts of unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs, and Barrows with one count of that same charge.
They were taken to Kennebec County jail, with bail for each set at $5,500.
The informant told police, prior to making the alleged drug purchases, that Magee was in possession of three handguns, one of which was a smaller Glock that he kept in his waistband at all times, and that Magee usually had several ounces of cocaine base and/or heroin in his possession.
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