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Calais Woman Sentenced to 5 Years in Drug Trafficking

Posted on: Friday, 24 February 2006, 12:00 CST

By Diana Graettinger, Bangor Daily News, Maine

Feb. 24--MACHIAS -- A 28-year-old Calais woman, who last year was part of a drug sweep dubbed Operation Oxi Kleen, was sentenced Wednesday in Washington County Superior Court to five years in prison

Assistant District Attorney Joelle Pratt said Tammy Gayton was charged with two counts of aggravated trafficking in Class A drugs. "What made them a Class A," Pratt said, "[is] she had a prior trafficking conviction from 1997 out of Androscoggin County."

Pratt said that on May 25, Gayton was involved in a drug buy in which a confidential informant paid $300 for four Canadian OxyContin pills. Six days later Gayton was involved in another transaction in which the confidential informant paid $225 for 11/2 Canadian OxyContin pills.

Last year, Calais police arrested 14 people in a drug sting operation.

The arrests took place over months and included the seizure of a variety of prescription drugs, such as Tylox, Suboxon, Percocet, Loricet Xanax, Soma, morphine, OxyContin and methadone.

Some of the drugs were opiate-based.

Asked about the 13 others who also were arrested, Pratt said the cases of Toni Hendricks, 44, and Jennifer Pollock, 19, both of Calais and Jason Waycott, 28, of Rollinsford, N.H., were still before the court.

She said Lynette Phelps, 43, of Calais was expected to appear in court next week, while Tony Leavitt, 52, also of Calais is being held pending revocation of his bail.

Margaret Pottle, 49, of Calais, Pratt said, is expected to appear in court next week.

The assistant district attorney said that Patrick Smith, 39, of Perry was being held without bail, while Ryan Norton, 19, of Calais, who had been charged with several misdemeanor drug offenses, was sentenced Oct. 6. He was given 100 hours of community service and ordered to pay fines and restitution.

John Haskins, 47, of Baring, who was arraigned on 13 different drug offenses, is being held on a motion to revoke his bail, Pratt said.

Chance Scott, 38, of Baileyville entered a guilty plea in October and was sentenced to two years in prison. He also was ordered to pay restitution.

Pratt said Michael Monica, 23, of Baring pleaded guilty to a reduced sentence of possession and placed on probation.

Two other people who were arrested by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency around the same time also were arraigned last year. The case of Lisa Haskins, 48, of Baring is still before the court, while her daughter Katherine Haskins, 21, currently is being held in the Washington County Jail, the district attorney said.

Washington County isn't the only place where a sting operation involving confidential informants took place. Last April, Canadian police swooped down on 22 suspected drug dealers and seized Ecstasy, marijuana, crystal methamphetamine, and OxyContin. They dubbed their seizure "Operation Jackpot."

In May, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police raided several residences and seized cocaine, marijuana, cash and loaded firearms.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Bangor Daily News, Maine

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine)

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