NEWRY – Five people, including one found in the trunk of a car, were arrested Thursday afternoon after an investigation into prescription drug trafficking.

Police arrested Brady “Gump” Wilson, 22, of West Bethel Road in Bethel; Nicole L. Terry, 27, and Krystal A. Dill, 22, both of Bear River Road in Newry; Kevin Michael Litchfield Jr., 21, of King Street in Oxford; and Megan R. Manson, 19, of Stearns Hill Road in Paris.

Terry was charged with two counts of aggravated trafficking in OxyContin, while Dill was charged with one count of the same charge. Wilson was charged with two counts of unlawful trafficking in OxyContin, and Litchfield and Manson were each charged with one count of that charge.

Maine Drug Enforcement Agency Supervisor Gerry Baril said the agency began an investigation into prescription drug sales with the Oxford Police Department in December and the Bethel Police Department in January in response to complaints of prescription drug sales by an individual named “Gump.”

According to an affidavit by MDEA agent Tony Milligan, police bought OxyContin from Wilson during two controlled purchases in March and April. In each purchase, Wilson said that he was being resupplied with the pills and police observed Terry make contact with him while driving a vehicle registered to Dill.

Police issued search warrants on Wilson, who was living in a garage apartment attached to his parents’ house, and Terry and Dill, who were living together at a Newry apartment.

While serving the warrant at the Newry residence, police interrupted a drug sale between Terry and Manson. They then heard noises from the trunk of Manson’s car and discovered Litchfield, who had been hiding there.

Baril said Litchfield and Manson purchased OxyContin from Terry for use and sale. He said Litchfield had run up a debt to Terry and hid in the trunk so Manson could purchase the pills.

OxyContin, Percocet and Ecstasy pills were seized from the Newry residence, along with $700 in cash and two 9 mm handguns. A search of Wilson’s apartment found 24 budding marijuana plants, cultivation equipment, Zoloft and Suboxone tablets, a pill crusher and straws commonly used to inhale crushed tablets, and a laptop believed to be stolen from a local school.

“We’re estimating that this particular enterprise here […] was responsible for the distribution of $5,000 worth of pills every few weeks,” Baril said.

He said the pills were acquired from an out-of-state distributer, and none of the people arrested are suspected in the recent burglary of a Rite-Aid pharmacy where about $3,800 in narcotic pills were stolen.

Baril said Terry and Dill bought the 80 milligram OxyContin pills for $45 a tablet and sold them to local dealers for $65 a tablet; the dealers then sold the pills for $80 a tablet. He said Terry and Dill also sold 40 milligram OxyContin pills and 10 milligram Percocet pills.

According to Milligan’s affidavit, OxyContin releases the painkiller Oxycodone over a period of time; however, drug abusers will remove the coating to take the entire dose at once for a high similar to heroin. The practice sometimes results in overdose and death, and the pills normally sell for $1 per milligram.

Terry’s charge is aggravated due to a 2006 conviction for possession of a controlled substance without a prescription in Florida, while Dill’s is aggravated due to the presence of firearms allegedly used in the drug trafficking.

Wilson was released from the Oxford County Jail by Friday afternoon, but the other four people arrested had not made bail.