AUGUSTA —A New York man stopped for speeding Tuesday evening in Augusta told the state police officer who stopped him he was rushing to go have sex with a girl on Franklin Street, police said.
Instead, he ended up behind bars on a charge of unlawful trafficking in cocaine and operating without a license.
Deondray Warren
Deondray T. Warren, 32, was arrested by Trooper Hunter Belanger on Hospital Street. He’s being held in lieu of $25,000 cash bail at the Kennebec County jail in Augusta.
In an affidavit filed with the court, Belanger said Warren initially said he was “hurrying up to meet a girl for sex on Franklin Street in Augusta.”
Belanger also said Warren first said he was traveling from Waterville and then said Waldoboro.
The trooper said he became suspicious when he saw a large amount of cash in Warren’s wallet as Warren searched for a photo identification to support his New York driving permit, and also saw two cellphones in the rental vehicle.
Warren told him he had the cash because he was driving his cousin to Maine, but then said it was from his tax return. When the trooper asked to see the car rental agreement, “Warren called his wife, who stated she took it out of the car.”
Belanger also said Warren claimed his cousin paid him to get the rental vehicle and drive him to Maine.
“Warren stated it was because he needed money and he has met a woman in Augusta who he was going to have sex with, so he would do both on one trip,” Belanger wrote.
Belanger said he frisked Warren and had him stand at the cruiser’s passenger door. When a second trooper arrived, Belanger told Warren he was being arrested on a charge of criminal speed.
An inventory of Warren and his vehicle turned up the two cellphones and $1,488 cash.
As Belanger left the scene to take Warren to jail, Trooper Jacob Roddy called him back.
“On the ground where my passenger side window was located was a plastic sandwich bag containing three vials containing white powder and 12 blue and pink small zip lock bags containing white, rock-like substances,” Belanger wrote, adding that he believed they were crack and cocaine.
At an initial appearance Wednesday at the Capital Judicial Center via video from the Kennebec County jail, Warren was represented by attorney William Baghdoyan, acting lawyer of the day.
Baghdoyan told Judge Tom Nale that the state’s complaint of trafficking against Warren was “fatally defective” for failing to allege 4 or more grams of cocaine.
Nale granted Assistant District Attorney David Spencer’s oral motion to add that to the complaint and set Warren’s bail at $25,000 cash.
Spencer had requested $10,000 cash bail for Warren with a Maine Pretrial Services contract and a condition that Warren remain in Maine.
“The defendant does have a prior record out of New York,” Spencer said, adding that it appeared Warren was awaiting a sentence on a charge of felony possession of a weapon.
He said Warren had been convicted of criminal possession of controlled substances as well.
“The defendant, when stopped, gave various stories about what he was doing and were he was going,” Spencer said.
Baghdoyan suggested lower cash bail along with a Maine Pretrial Services contract. Baghdoyan also said there were issues that can be raised in motions to suppress regarding Warren being detained for a period of time and the search of the car.
Nale said those arguments can be heard later.
Betty Adams — 621-5631
Twitter: @betadams
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