BRUNSWICK — A Brunswick man arrested Monday on an outstanding warrant is wanted by Brunswick police who say they found 76 marijuana plants, nearly 100 illegal prescription drugs, cash and a number of semi-automatic weapons in his Cumberland Street apartment.
Aaron Fickett, 27, of 71 Cumberland St., Apt. 2, faces charges including cultivation of marijuana, trafficking in scheduled drugs and violation of bail conditions, Brunswick Police Detective Rich Cutliffe said today.
Brunswick patrol officers conducting proactive traffic enforcement ran Ficketts license plate on Monday night and found that he was wanted for failure to appear in court on original charges of carrying a concealed weapon and refusing to submit to arrest or detention.
Those charges stemmed from an Oct. 15, 2011, incident in Brunswick, Capt. Mark Waltz said Thursday.
Officers lost Ficketts vehicle, but then noticed it later at 71 Cumberland Street and began knocking on doors, Cutliffe said. When Fickett answered the door at Apt. 2, The officers got just overwhelmed with the odor of marijuana, he said.
Fickett allegedly told police he didnt live in the apartment and didnt know who did, so officers conducted a protective sweep. In doing so, they noticed two rooms filled with marijuana plants, Cutliffe said.
Fickett was arrested on the warrant and taken to Cumberland County Jail. In the meantime, Cutliffe obtained a search warrant from the Maine Attorney Generals office and executed it at approximately 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Police allegedly found five loaded guns strategically placed throughout the apartment, Cutliffe said. They included a Ruger P94 40-caliber semi-automatic handgun, a FMJ 45-caliber handgun, an Izhmash Siaga 7.62 assault rifle, a Stag 15 5.56 assault rifle and a Browning 12-gauge shotgun.
According to Cutliffe, court records indicate Fickett was arrested in 2008 in Newbury, Mass., after he fled from police, allegedly throwing cocaine and heroin out the car window. He never appeared for court on those charges, Cutliffe said, but a warrant was never issued, although he added that after Brunswick officers called Massachusetts, they will be resubmitting to file for a warrant on those charges.
Also on Tuesday morning, police allegedly found 76 marijuana plants in the Cumberland Street apartment, nearly an ounce of processed marijuana, $2,400 in cash, scales, a money-counting machine and nearly 100 prescription pills including methadone, Suboxone, clonazepam and alprazolam. They also allegedly found ballistic vests and more ammunition. Whether police will be able to connect Fickett to the items found in that apartment remains to be determined.
Cutliffe said Fickett did hold a license to grow medical marijuana, but he was way out of compliance.
Officers also seized approximately $5,000 worth of marijuana growing equipment including ductwork, grow lamps and ballasts, as well as ledgers. As they searched the apartment on Tuesday morning, officers noticed through a window that an apartment supposed to be vacant contained similar ductwork to that in Ficketts apartment, Cutliffe said. Later that morning, detectives returned to the second apartment with the property manager and discovered another 50 plants, more ballistic vests and still more ammunition.
However, by the time detectives were able to execute the search warrant and find the drugs, guns and other items, Fickett had posted bail on the original warrant at Cumberland County Jail.
Police continue to search for Fickett.
In a press release issued late this afternoon, Brunswick Police Capt. Mark Waltz said no charges are pending at this time in connection with the search warrant.
bbrogan@timesrecord.com
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