ALFRED — Two of three women arrested on felony drug crimes last week in Biddeford have been re-arrested, but one remains at large after they were released from jail by a complaint justice after being held about 50 hours without a court appearance.

The mishap, and how it happened, has been discussed by members of the agencies involved ”“ the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, York County Jail and Biddeford Police. They say they’ve taken steps to rectify communications and paperwork issues to ensure there’s no repeat of the situation.

The three women and a man taken into custody by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency were arrested about 2 p.m. Nov. 4, and arrived at York County Jail about 5 p.m. that day, according to MDEA Cmdr. Scott Pelletier. They were in a jail transport van with three others, sent to Biddeford by jail authorities to pick them up. But when they arrived, officials said, about a dozen other people were in the process of being booked into the jail, and other police agencies were also bringing in people they’d arrested. As a consequence, the three women, who had been charged by MDEA agents with felony cocaine trafficking, weren’t booked or placed on the list to make a court appearance the following day.

The court list is prepared at about 5 a.m., jail officials said Wednesday. The women were released from jail at 7:07 p.m. Nov. 6, because based on the paperwork initially provided to the jail, there wasn’t enough probable cause for the complaint justice to order them held, according to York County Chief Deputy Bill King and Capt. Daniel Bean.

That information was at Springvale District Court, because MDEA officials had made sure on Tuesday that it was available for the court and the district attorney’s office for the women’s court appearance the following day, said Pelletier. He said MDEA agents expected that the women would have been booked and made a court appearance, and based on the timeframe, were surprised that hadn’t happened.

The release of the women ”“ Casey Goldthwaite, 24, and Athina Goldthwaite, 32, both of Biddeford, charged with Class B felony trafficking of crack cocaine, and Jasmine Brandeo of Boston, who was charged with Class A aggravated trafficking of crack cocaine ”“ incensed Biddeford Police Chief Roger Beaupre, whose department worked with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency to make the arrests. The Goldthwaite women were later re-arrested; Brandeo remains at large, though there’s a warrant out for her arrest.

The situation also rankled Pelletier, who said he understands sometimes things happen, but believes MDEA should have been notified sooner, so they could make sure the paperwork required to provide probable cause was at the jail. As it was, they were notified as the women were being released, he said.

“I hope in the future, communication will better,” he said in a telephone interview Wednesday afternoon.

Pelletier said when it became apparent the women were not on the list for court, someone at the jail should have called the MDEA.

“If we had known (earlier), we could have had the paperwork there,” he said.

Bean, the jail captain, said in normal circumstances, a supervisor examines the paperwork for each inmate, and will try to contact the arresting agency if the paperwork on hand isn’t complete. In this case, he said, that didn’t happen, and there was no time to do so when the complaint justice arrived ”“ they were up against a 48-hour limit on holding the women.

Jail officials say the booking process is a lengthy one; taking on average of an hour for each person, from the time the arrestee is led from a transport van or police car to a waiting area, asked questions to determine the individual has medical issues, is suicidal, if they’ve been drinking or doing drugs, and a litany of other questions. Then, they’re patted down and an inventory compiled of the items brought in with them. If they’re charged with violent crimes or certain drug crimes, they’re searched. And the process goes on.

There is the records search to determine if the individual has outstanding warrants, pictures and fingerprints are taken, and more. During the booking process, the corrections officer may be interrupted to make regular checks of the holding cells and searches of any prisoners returning from court or from kitchen duty and the like, officers said on a tour of the booking area Wednesday. Intake, as the area is called, is staffed by two officers and a supervisor.

King, who take up his duties as the county’s elected sheriff Jan. 1, said additional staffing may have helped in this case. King said procedures will be tightened, and when the parties met on Wednesday, they made arrangements to improve communication.

Biddeford Deputy Police Chief JoAnne Fisk said everyone understands the situation more clearly after the meeting.

“We want to work with them, not against them,” she said.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].