Tyrell H. Gorham, 23, of Elm Street, had been under investigation by the Kennebec Valley Drug Task Force, which includes Waterville police, police said Monday in a written statement.Detective Chris Paradis and Officer Duane Cloutier, working with task-force members from the Oakland Police Department and Kennebec Sheriff's Office, went to Gorham's Elm Street apartment at 1 p.m. Sunday, according to police.
Gorham was on the porch, where police say they found a gram of crack cocaine in one of his pockets. During a search of his room in the apartment, police found 28 grams of crack cocaine, with a street value of about $3,000, the statement said.
Gorham was arrested and charged with aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs, a Class A felony because of the amount of narcotics seized and the proximity of his apartment to two area schools -- the Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers on Silver Street and the Albert S. Hall School on Pleasant Street.Police said Gorham claims to be affiliated with the Bloods, a national gang known for its violence and involvement in drug trafficking. He is originally from Jamaica, Queens, N.Y., police said."Since July of 2006, the Waterville Police Department has arrested or summonsed Gorham 18 times, for crimes ranging for driving offenses, possession of narcotics, terrorizing and assault," Police Chief Joseph Massey said. "To say that we characterize him as a danger to our community would be an understatement."
A check of Gorham's criminal record shows arrests in New York for forgery and weapons possession, according to police.After his arrest, Gorham was taken to Kennebec County Jail to await arraignment, which is scheduled for December 9 in Augusta Superior Court. He was unable to raise $200,000 cash for his bail. Also arrested with Gorham was Nicholas Powell, 19, of Benton, who was at the Elm Street apartment and had an outstanding warrant for his arrest, according to police. Like Gorham, Powell was unable to raise bail and was taken to jail.
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