BANGOR (AP) – A former basketball player at Husson College has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison nearly one year after her arrest in the parking lot of a Bangor restaurant during an undercover drug operation.

Morgan Drew, 20, of Calais, was also sentenced Wednesday to three years of supervised release, during which she must attend drug counseling and be tested for drug use. Her sentence will be reduced to four months because of time served, and could be lessened to two months for good behavior.

Drew pleaded guilty to attempted possession of OxyContin. She waived indictment in October in U.S. District Court in Bangor.

U.S. District Judge John Woodcock said he was worried a lenient sentence would not send a stern enough message, but told Drew that the court has come to the conclusion that she was too young and has too much potential.

Drew said she is not addicted to drugs now, but that staying clean will be a lifelong battle.

Drew said she intends to return to college in southern Maine to continue with a degree in business administration.

“I’d rather get away from the area mainly because of the drug connections I once had here,” she said.

Drew has been in jail since April of 2003 on probation violation charge related to state charges. She and Sarah Snider, 19, of Milbridge were arrested in March 2002 on charges of burglarizing a Princeton home.

Both were sentenced in January 2003 in Washington County Superior Court to 18 months in prison with all but 30 days suspended and three years’ probation after pleading guilty to the charges.

AP-ES-04-08-04 1216EDT

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