WATERVILLE — Two people were arrested after police found more than a pound of fentanyl and about 15 grams of crack at a Waterville hotel room in a discovery that is becoming more commonplace, officials said Wednesday.
Alexander Rizza III, 33, of Waterville. Photo courtesy of Waterville police
The drugs, with a street value of more than $100,000, spotlighted an opioid crisis that persists, even though it is not as visible during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Deputy police Chief William Bonney.
Bonney said the drugs were found Nov. 23 after Officer Jake Whitley saw a stolen vehicle enter the parking lot at the Best Western Plus Waterville Grand Hotel at 375 Main St.
Alexander Rizza III, 33, and Kayley Orcutt, 28, both of Waterville, were inside the vehicle. Rizza was wanted on a contempt of court charge, Bonney said.
Police found a small amount of crack and fentanyl on Rizza when they arrested him, according to Bonney. A search warrant was obtained for the hotel room that was under Orcutt’s name. When searching the room, police found more than 516 grams of fentanyl — more than a pound — and 15.3 grams of crack, Bonney said.
“In the past, we’d see seizures like this after monthslong investigations by detectives and drug agents,” Bonney said. “Now, we’re finding seizures like this on traffic stops.”
Rizza faces charges that include Class C theft by receiving stolen property, Class A aggravated trafficking of scheduled drugs and Class B unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs. Orcutt was charged with similar counts, he said.
Kayley Orcutt, 28, of Waterville. Photo courtesy of Waterville police
Both were taken to the Kennebec County Correctional Facility in Augusta, where bail was initially set at $22,000 cash. A jail spokesman said Wednesday both were still incarcerated and their bails had been increased to $35,000.
Kennebec County District Attorney Maeghan Maloney said Wednesday that Rizza and Orcutt had made initial appearances Nov. 24 at the Capital Judicial Center in Augusta. Because they face felony charges, pleas were not entered at that time, she said.
Pleas will be entered if a grand jury returns indictments, according to Maloney, who said the grand jury typically meets once a month but did not meet in November due to scheduling issues with the Thanksgiving holiday.
“They are meeting Dec. 23, and they’ll have cases presented to them at that time,” Maloney said.
The cases cannot move forward unless the grand jury indicts, she said.
Maloney’s office asked for $75,000 cash bail for Rizza and Orcutt and requested they have no contact with each other.
Maloney agreed with Bonney that the opioid problem persists statewide and is at a critical level.
“I can say, in general, we’re losing more Mainers every year to opioids than the year before, so it is absolutely a crisis in our state,” Maloney said.
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