Four people are facing drug trafficking charges after allegedly transporting prescription pills from Florida to sell in Maine.

Dakota Bonnell, 19, of Augusta, and Curtis Ray Simmons, 48, of Belgrade, were arrested Friday by officers of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency. Also arrested at Simmons’ Belgrade home were his wife, Alison Simmons-Murphy, 44, and Linda Cardenales, 39.

All four are charged with aggravated trafficking in prescription drugs.

Simmons is being held at the Kennebec County jail in lieu of $75,000 cash bail or $250,000 in property. Bonnell is being held at the jail on $5,000 bail. Simmons-Murphy and Cardenales were each released on $10,000 unsecured bond.

According to an affidavit filed in Kennebec County Superior Court by Christopher Blodgett of the Maine DEA, Simmons was making regular trips to Florida for prescription drugs to sell out of his mobile home on West Road in Belgrade.

Blodgett alleges in his affidavit that Bonnell, who lives on Ridge Road in Augusta, also was selling pills obtained from Simmons.

Blodgett said Simmons, Simmons-Murphy and Cardenales were at Simmons’ home Friday when agents with a search warrant uncovered $22,000 in cash along with about 600 30-milligram Percocet pills in the master bedroom. Agents also found a loaded shotgun in the room. Simmons is a convicted felon prohibited from owning firearms, Blodgett said.

Agents found a smaller number of 30-milligram Percocet pills and $2,000 cash in a spare bedroom occupied by Cardenales, Blodgett said. Agents also found drug ledgers and a receipt for a shipment to Bonnell, Blodgett said. A motorcycle registered to Bonnell also was found on the property.

Agents also seized eight marijuana plants.

Bonnell’s apartment was searched later the same day as Bonnell, along with two other men, was packing a vehicle for an overnight trip to Old Orchard Beach, Blodgett said. Agents searched the packed bags and found $9,000 and a small scale.

Inside Bonnell’s apartment, agents found an empty scale box matching the one found in the packed bag, as well as drug ledgers and a box shipped from Florida by Alison Simmons-Murphy, Blodgett said.

The shipping box contained a small stuffed animal that had been ripped open, Blodgett said. “This is a common way known to send prescription drugs through the mail,” he said.

 

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