A Waterville couple charged with stealing from a prospective massage client in a Belfast motel Wednesday have been ordered to appear in Waldo County Superior Court next month, according to Belfast police Chief Mike McFadden.

Marissa Hudson, 28, and James Butcher, 29, of Waterville, were summonsed Friday and charged with felony Class C theft of more than $500 cash as well as electronics including an iPhone and navigation system, a leather jacket, rain gear and other items worth more than $500, he said.

McFadden said a group of motorcyclists from New York were staying at the Fireside Inn on U.S. Route 1 in Belfast Wednesday night, and one of the motorcyclists wanted a massage so he logged on to a website which provided such services and found someone who would offer it.

“He said he was looking for a massage — I don’t know if it was anything more than that, but the female and two males, one of whom was Butcher, arrived and somehow everyone met in the gentleman’s motel,” McFadden said Monday. “Basically, the male victim decided he didn’t want the services he asked for.”

McFadden said the victim told police he had a conversation with the two men about the fact that there was a cost for the female and two men to drive from Waterville to Belfast.

“While the men were engaging in this conversation, the woman had picked up his duffel bag and the duffel bag contained over $500 cash,” he said.

“The folks from Waterville left the motel room, and somehow she got out of there with the duffel bag without the victim noticing it,” McFadden said.

At some point, the motorcyclist realized his belongings were missing and called police and gave them a description of the woman and two men, as well as the telephone number for the escort service.

Maine Drug Enforcement Agency officials and a Belfast police officer assigned to MDEA called the number to try to attract the woman and two men back to Belfast so they could be identified and police could get the stolen items back, according to McFadden. Officials scheduled a meeting with the female, who was to come to Belfast Friday night.

“On the way to Belfast, unfortunately the driver of the vehicle — we’re unsure who was driving the vehicle — became involved in a traffic accident, but (the vehicle) didn’t stop,” McFadden said.

The accident occurred in Swanville. A Belfast police officer noticed a vehicle traveling down the road with a lot of damage to it, pulled it over and discovered the people inside were the ones police were trying to identify as part of the felony theft from the motorcyclist, he said.

“So the meeting with the undercover agents never materialized,” McFadden said.

But police spoke with the vehicle occupants, and they confessed to stealing the items, he said. Police were able to recover the victim’s belongings from the Waterville couple’s home — except the more than $500 cash, he said. The vehicle was towed from the scene, he added.

“In order to expedite recovery of the property, the officer drove one of the individuals back to Waterville where they reside,” McFadden said.

Asked whether police also are investigating whether the escort service is offering more than just a massage, McFadden said, it’s “not that we don’t have our suspicions.”

“But the thing is, we can think we know what the business is all day long, but knowing and proving are two different things — or thinking we know,” McFadden said. “I suspect that they will think twice about coming back to Belfast.”

He said he surmised that most victims would be reluctant to call police in such a situation “because of the implications of participating in such a service.”

Contacted Monday afternoon, Waterville Deputy police Chief Charles Rumsey said Belfast police on Friday called Waterville police to stand by while Belfast officers recovered stolen items from the couple’s home at 5 Belmont Ave. Belmont Avenue is a short street that runs from Western Avenue to Elm Court just behind The End Zone, a restaurant and bar.

Meanwhile, Waterville police have had dealings with both Hudson and Butcher, according to Rumsey.

In 2010, Hudson was charged with theft after shoplifting cosmetic items from Hannaford at Elm Plaza and served three days in jail, he said. In 2013, she was charged with operating with a suspended license and convicted. In March, she was arrested on a warrant. At the time, she listed her occupation as “exotic dancer,” according to Rumsey.

In 2008, Butcher was charged with theft and found guilty of shoplifting a bottle of Johnnie Walker whisky from Hannaford at Elm Plaza, Rumsey said. He also was charged with theft in 2005, he said.

Amy Calder — 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @AmyCalder17