WATERVILLE — After a monthslong investigation, police arrested two people at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in Waterville Commons after allegedly finding $45,000 worth of drugs in multiple searches, according to a Waterville Police Department news release.
Ambrose Wan, 32, of New York City, New York, and Toni Juliano, 30, of Canaan, were charged with multiple felonies and misdemeanors after police searched them, their car and a local hotel room, finding hundreds of grams of drugs.
Police stopped the pair as Juliano was dropping Wan off at Walmart. Wan fled on foot, according to the release, but was caught by officers shortly afterward.
Juliano was cooperative as the police searched her and the car, a 2013 Chevrolet Equinox, as well as the hotel room. Police are not releasing the name of the hotel at this time.
Detectives found 282.9 grams of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine, as well as seven sublingual Suboxone strips, which typically are used to treat opioid addiction. The total street value of the drugs is $45,000, and police found an additional $38,000 in cash in the hotel room.
The Augusta Police Department assisted Waterville in the case, as there was “some criminal activity” going on in the capital, though Waterville police Deputy Chief Bill Bonney declined to provide further details.
Police previously had made a seizure in connection with Juliano on Sept. 6 but withheld the information, as it was part of an ongoing investigation.
Juliano was staying in a different local hotel when she failed to rent the room again, Bonney said. The hotel staff found 389.9 grams of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine while cleaning out the room and called the police.
The total amount of drugs connected to Juliano in September alone — 672.3 grams — is more than two-thirds of a kilogram.
“That’s a lot, especially for this area,” Bonney said. The total street value is more than $100,000.
Both Wan and Juliano were taken to the Kennebec County jail and are scheduled to appear Nov. 27 at the Unified Criminal Court in Augusta.
Wan has a $150,000 single-surety bail, with no cash allowed. Juliano was not allowed bail, as she already had been free on bail after her arrest on a felony charge from the Augusta Police Department of unlawful trafficking in drugs.
Juliano is charged with three counts of aggravated trafficking in schedule W drugs, class A felonies; four counts of unlawful trafficking in schedule W drugs, class B felonies; one count of criminal conspiracy, a class B felony; and two counts of violation of conditions of release, a class D misdemeanor.
Wan is charged with three counts of aggravated trafficking in schedule W drugs, class A felonies; one count of criminal conspiracy, a class B felony; one count of possession of schedule W drugs, a class D misdemeanor; and one count of driving without a license, a class E misdemeanor.
“Significant seizures like these are in keeping with the Waterville Police Department philosophy of aggressively enforcing the drug laws of the State of Maine against source level suppliers,” Chief Joseph Massey said in the release.
Bonney also emphasized the importance of programs such as Operation HOPE, which helps those with substance abuse disorder find treatment. This ultimately reduces the demand for drugs, he said.
Madeline St. Amour — 861-9239
mstamour@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @madelinestamour
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