RUMFORD — Police and drug agents on Thursday searched at least three homes and arrested five people in an ongoing investigation.

Police searched two homes on Cumberland Street early Thursday morning and another at 497 Virgin St. later in the day.

According to Chief Stacy Carter, several arrests were made at 419 Cumberland St. and 323 Cumberland St. More arrests are expected in and out of state, he said.

Eve Roberts of Rumford, 46, was arrested on Cumberland Street and charged with aggravated trafficking of fentanyl, aggravated trafficking of morphine, aggravated trafficking of cocaine base, and violation of conditions of release.

Corinne Donahue of Rumford, 28, was arrested on Cumberland Street and charged with aggravated trafficking of heroin.

The trafficking charge was aggravated for Roberts and Donahue because the crimes occurred within a Drug Free Safe Zone.

Richard O. Burton of Kingston, New York, 33, was arrested on Cumberland Street and charged with aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs.

Melaku Dingle of Augusta, 39, was arrested on Wyman Hill Road and charged with aggravated trafficking of a schedule W drug, criminal conspiracy to traffic schedule W drugs, possession of a firearm by a felon, and receiving stolen property, namely the firearm.

Sarah Christie of Rumford, 31, was arrested on Virgin Street and charged with violation of conditions of release, aggravated trafficking in a schedule W drug, and criminal conspiracy to traffic in schedule W drugs.

All have court dates of Oct. 3.

Chief Carter said the sweep was a group effort, with assistance from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Maine State Police, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Border Patrol.

The area where the arrests were made, designated a “Hot Spot” zone, has been watched for several months, and with the help of determined investigators and citizens coming forward with information, the hard work paid off, Carter said.

As the arrests were made and the charged were being escorted to police cars, bystanders cheered, clapped and thanked the officers.

“This is a wonderful example of how a community (can) work together and make their streets safe,” Carter said.

The investigation is ongoing, and citizens with information are encouraged to come forward.

“There is no need for another young life to be lost to opiate overdose,” Carter said.

He said Operation Hot Spots is a two-year crime-fighting program.

“What we’ve found is that when Lewiston was having great success (with Operation Hot Spots), it was pushing some of those criminals to the smaller communities, so we partnered up with them and got into the program,” Carter said.

“In the last year we’ve had a huge influx of heroin, so we’re trying to get the stuff pushed out of the town,” he said. “Hopefully, there’ll be more of these (arrests) in the future.”

emeisner@sunmediagroup.net

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