AUBURN — A three-month drug probe focused on a Lewiston home netted three area residents Friday morning who were charged with trafficking cocaine and heroin.

Authorities seized eight grams of heroin and 40 grams of crack cocaine as well as $1,690 in cash from an apartment at 61 River St. in Lewiston.

Charged in connection with the bust were:

• Justin Wing, 23, of Auburn, refusing to submit to arrest and unlawful possession of Schedule W drugs;

• Antwan Gildersleeve, 34, Lewiston, aggravated trafficking in Schedule W drugs and criminal forfeiture; and

• Shauna Mercier, 32, of Turner, unlawful possession of Schedule W drugs.

Auburn police were assisted in the bust by Lewiston police officers and agents from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration as part of a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Task Force.

According to an affidavit filed by Auburn patrol officer Nicholas J. Kyllonen, Auburn police became aware in November 2018 that heroin was being sold out of an apartment at 61 River St., Lewiston. Detectives conducted a controlled buy of crack cocaine, using a confidential informant.

The informant was given cash with recorded serial numbers and was wired with an electronic transmitting and audio and video recording device. The informant, who was searched beforehand, was seen entering the building, then leaving nearly half an hour later. The informant’s transaction with someone in the apartment to buy cocaine was recorded. The informant turned over a bag of crack cocaine that weighed .6 grams to authorities after leaving the building.

Over the next three months, police received complaints from area residents about high traffic volumes in and out of the building.

On Thursday night, authorities conducted surveillance on that building. They saw a man go in and leave five minutes later in a Jeep. Police later pulled over the driver over for failing to use his turn signal.

A passenger in the Jeep was the man who had been seen entering the River Street building. He agreed to be searched. Police found a baggie with heroin that he said came from the fourth floor of 61 River St. in Lewiston.

That information was used by police to secure a search warrant.

Shortly before 4 a.m. Friday, police executed the warrant. A baggie of crack cocaine was found on a toilet seat, a powder suspected to be cocaine or heroin was found in the bathtub and a rock of crack cocaine was found in a pack of cigarettes by Mercier’s wallet, according to the affidavit. Police found crack cocaine in a lip balm container in a bedroom. Police also recovered a digital scale.

Gildersleeve appeared in 8th District Court on Friday afternoon where a judge set bail at $10,000 cash. If released from Androscoggin County Jail, he may have no contact with co-defendants and may not have illegal drugs for which he could be searched and tested at random.

Mercier also appeared in court Friday where a judge set her bail at $1,000 cash with conditions similar to Gildersleeve’s.

Wing posted bail before appearing in court.

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