LEWISTON — James K. Ludlow, arrested Wednesday after police found what they said were traces of methamphetamine and the chemicals used to make the drug in his Omer Street apartment, faces a $1,500 cash bail.

District Court Judge Valerie Stanfill said Friday that there is little evidence that Ludlow is a risk for flight. Ludlow, 35, faces charges of one count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a schedule W drug and another count of violating previous bail conditions.

After his initial appearance in Lewiston District Court on Friday, Stanfill scheduled an administrative conference for Ludlow on the charges for 8:30 a.m. April 29. Ludlow was not arraigned Friday and Stanfill did not ask for a plea from him. She left the door open for further criminal charges, saying he could expect an earlier court date if he’s indicted on other charges.

Police swarmed Ludlow’s 8 Omer St. apartment Wednesday, wearing chemical-resistant suits and ventilators and removing a variety of substances and other items from the building. They examined and tested those items at the scene and bagged several as evidence.

According to the arrest affidavit, those items included pseudoephedrine tablets, coffee filters containing suspected methamphetamine residue, solvents and plastic bags containing small quantities of the suspected drug.

Later tests of the powder from the bag were positive for methamphetamine.

According to the affidavit, Ludlow was working at General Electric in Auburn, while police were in his apartment. He was on a conditional release for an assault charge against his ex-girlfriend. That ex-girlfriend, Pamela Conner, was in Ludlow’s apartment at the time of the arrest, and that led to the second charge he faced Friday: violating conditions of release. Stanfill found that Ludlow had violated his bail conditions. 

She set a March 23 trial date in Lewiston District Court for the assault charge.

staylor@sunjournal.com