WILTON – A Wilton man was suspended from his job after being charged with dealing in marijuana and receiving property reported stolen from his employer, police said.

Niles Azevedo, 32, who moved to Wilton several years ago from Florida, was arrested on a charge of trafficking in marijuana and is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 5, a spokeswoman at the Franklin County Detention Center said Wednesday night.

Bail was set at $3,000, which he must pay if he fails to show up in court. He was released after paying a $40 bail commissioner’s fee.

Azevedo was also charged with receiving stolen property.

On Monday, the Wilton Police Department received a tip that office equipment stolen from ICT in Wilton over the past two weeks was at Azevedo’s Main Street apartment, according to a release from the Maine Department of Public Safety and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.

The informant also mentioned a quantity of marijuana was at the apartment, which is less than 1,000 feet from the Academy Hill and Cushing elementary schools.

Police Chief James Parker was assisted by the MDEA in obtaining a search warrant and Parker, two MDEA agents and Wilton officers Ed Leahy, Bob Cole, James Black, Terry Warren and Kevin McCutcheon descended on the apartment Monday evening.

According to the release, an office chair, five telephone head sets, three battery-operated air fresheners and one computer monitor screen glare cover, all reported stolen at ICT, were found and seized. The total value was under $1,000.

Also found were two pre-packaged one-ounce bags of marijuana, eight 3.5 gram bags of marijuana, an electronic scale and empty baggies, similar to the bags found containing the pre-measured marijuana, the release stated. The value of the drug was estimated to be $680.

Azevedo was released from jail hours after his arrest and has a February court date.

ICT declined to comment on the situation, but according to the Wilton Police Department, Azevedo was suspended from his post at the company pending the police investigation.

Headquartered in Pennsylvania, ICT Group is a globally integrated supplier of customer relationship management solutions. According to its Web site, it has more than 50 contact centers in 11 states and seven foreign countries and 11,000 employees. Three of its contact centers are in Oxford, Pittsfield and Wilton.

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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