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Tribe moves to end drug dealing PLEASANT POINT — It takes a community effort to stamp out drug dealers, and that's exactly what led to one of the biggest drug sweeps in the history of the Passamaquoddy reservation Thursday night. Cecil "Scott'' Larkin, 34; Ralph Francis, 61; and Paula Perry, 31, all of Pleasant Point, were arrested and charged with drug offenses. An arrest warrant also has been issued for Perry's husband, Wayne, 35. In the wake of the arrests, tribal Police Chief Joseph Barnes warned others Friday who might be dealing drugs on the reservation to "be careful, you'd better have eyes in the back of your head, because we are coming after you.'' Most of the drugs collected during the sweep were prescription medications, including painkillers. "They crush up the painkillers,'' said Gov. Richard Doyle, "and snort them. They call it ‘Down East cocaine.' It is a cheap buzz. We also found evidence of crack cocaine and drug needles.'' Councilor Clifford Francis characterized the drug problem on the reservation as serious, "especially with the kids.'' Around 2 p.m. Thursday, agents of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and local law enforcement officers from Pleasant Point and Eastport raided Larkin's home and recovered several firearms, including a loaded semiautomatic pistol. Larkin was arrested on two counts of aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs and prohibited possession of a firearm by a felon. Larkin has two prior felony convictions. Simultaneously, police raided Ralph Francis' apartment where they recovered medical records and prescription drugs. Francis was charged with aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs and violation of probation. Police allege that Francis sold narcotics in a school zone. He previously was convicted of a felony narcotics violation in Connecticut for which he is still on probation. Paula Perry was arrested at her apartment later in the day and charged with trafficking in scheduled drugs and selling marijuana from her residence. Police are seeking her husband, Wayne, on similar charges. Although the investigation that led to the arrests began two months ago, Lt. Gov. Edward Bassett said tribal members made it clear before last year's election that they wanted drugs off the reservation. After the election, tribal officials met with the Pleasant Point police chief and a plan was developed. "Everything started on October 1, surveillance, you name it, whatever we could get,'' the lieutenant governor said Friday. "We did as much networking as possible and reached out to different individuals who were willing to become confidential informants.'' Tribal officials also contacted the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, but were unable to secure help. They then were able to receive assistance from the Maine DEA. Tribal leaders Friday praised MDEA for its efforts. Councilor Gene Francis said the decision to crack down on drug dealers was one of the best-kept secrets on the reservation, but he admitted it had been hard to keep the investigation quiet. The governor agreed. He said it has been a difficult few months as tensions on the reservation mounted and more people demanded action. He said tribal leaders urged people to stay calm. "We did the drug dealers a little favor by holding the community back from them, because the community really was ready to explode,'' the governor said. Councilor Fred Francis said that, although people were congratulating one another Friday because some alleged drug dealers were arrested, he had no illusions that the problem would go away. "Hopefully, for now it will slow down. ... We hope to get some good convictions to show the other people that if you do get caught, there is a consequence to pay,'' he said. "We have a zero tolerance'' for drugs on the reservation, stressed Councilor George Bassett. Despite the effort against the alleged drug dealers, tribal officials acknowledged Friday their need to get at the root of the problem — the users. "We are eliminating, in some respects, some of the supply, but the demand is still there,'' the lieutenant governor said. "We have to really work with our people about that.'' To do that, Councilor Clayton Cleaves said, the tribe needs drug-education grants. "We need programs to educate people in the community that there is another way,'' he said. Gov. Doyle said economic development on the reservation also was a key to the problem. "It has been shown in studies in other places that communities with a thriving economy have less crime and drug use. ... We need to build our economy so we can provide jobs to people and help them restore their self-esteem,'' he said. Tribal leaders agreed it was their goal to eliminate every drug dealer from the reservation. But before drugs are completely eliminated, Cleaves said, more communities are going to have to work together. "I think residents in other cities and towns need to speak out so we can together address the issue,'' he said. The lieutenant governor talked about how difficult it had been for people who lived on the reservation to take such a strong stand. "After all, all these people we are talking about here are our relatives. We are one big extended family. ... We may be happy about it, but it is painful on another level that we have to do this to our own people,'' he said. |
Copyright © 2003
Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point
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