LEWISTON — Police arrested a local couple at their home Thursday and charged them with dealing methamphetamine.

Local police and state agents seized drugs, guns and money from a home on River Road in Lewiston on Thursday. MDEA photo

Local police and state drug agents searched the 321 River Road home of Christopher Martel, 38, and Brittany Gurney, 31, late Thursday morning as part of an ongoing investigation targeting methamphetamine distribution in Androscoggin County, according to court documents.

Authorities seized a vehicle, about 240 grams of crystal methamphetamine, cocaine base, or crack, Ecstasy, $7,400 in suspected drug proceeds and a .45-caliber Kimber pistol from Martel’s 2015 Toyota Highlander and a Marlin 45-70 rifle on the headboard of his bed.

The street value of the seized drugs is roughly $30,000, according to an affidavit.

Authorities had set up drug buys at the couple’s home with a confidential informant who wore a wire. The informant visited three times, beginning on Nov. 15, and bought a total of three grams of methamphetamine from Gurney with prerecorded U.S. currency, according to the affidavit of Zachary Provost, a special agent for Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.

A state police trooper stopped Martel in his SUV after leaving work on Thursday and searched him and his vehicle. Investigators found the pistol in the center console of his SUV along with nearly 4o grams of methamphetamine, according to court records.

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Inside a safe found in his home, agents recovered more than 200 grams of methamphetamine, according to the affidavit.

Martel and Gurney were arrested and taken to the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn. Bail was set at $100,000 cash for Martel. Gurney was being held without bail due violating conditions of release from a prior criminal charge.

The couple appeared in 8th District Court in Lewiston on Friday.

Martel was charged with aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs, namely 100 grams or more of methamphetamine, and aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs with a firearm, both Class A felonies and each punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

Brittany Gurney and Christopher Martel. MDEA photo

He also was charged with unlawful possession of scheduled drug, namely crack, and unlawful possession of  scheduled drug, namely Ecstasy, each a Class D misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in jail.

Gurney was charged with aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs, namely 100 grams or more of methamphetamine, a Class A crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison. She also was charged with three counts of unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs, namely methamphetamine, each a Class B crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Gurney also faces two Class D misdemeanor drug possession charges for crack and Ecstasy, as well as a Class E misdemeanor charge of violation of condition of release.

In 8th District Court on Friday, Judge Nancy Carlson ordered bail for Martel be kept at $100,000 cash with conditions including no possession of alcohol, illegal drugs and dangerous weapons for which he can be searched at random. He also was ordered to have no contact with Gurney. Martel didn’t qualify for a court-appointed attorney and said he expects to hire one.

The judge ordered Gurney held without bail pending a hearing on the violation charge, which she denied Friday. On the new charges, she is being held on $50,000 cash bail with conditions that prohibit possession of alcohol, illegal drugs and dangerous weapons. She can be searched at random for those things. She is barred from contact with Martel.

Gurney had been released on bail conditions stemming from earlier felony charges of possession of heroin and trafficking in prison contraband.


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