AUGUSTA -- Several months of police investigation culminated in the arrests of four people on drug-related charges Wednesday.

Paul E. Lavallee, 48, of Gardiner was arrested Thursday, a day after the search of his Marston Road home, and charged with aggravated trafficking of scheduled drugs, aggravated cultivating of marijuana and unlawful furnishing of a scheduled drug, Kennebec County Sheriff Randall Liberty said in a statement.

Lavallee was released on $1,000 bail by Thursday evening.

Deputies from the Kennebec County Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at Lavallee's home around 11 a.m. Wednesday and found about 7 grams of heroin valued at $2,100, Liberty said. Police also found three marijuana growing rooms, marijuana growing and processing equipment, six marijuana plants and about six ounces of processed marijuana, Liberty said. There also were more than 2,000 marijuana seeds that included 20 individually packaged and identified varieties, Liberty said.

A .44-magnum revolver, two .357 revolvers and a rifle also were found in the home, Liberty said.

Lavallee, who was not home at the time of the search, turned himself in to police on Thursday.

In a separate incident, three people were arrested after a traffic stop on Interstate 95 Wednesday, Liberty said.

Lewis Hamilton, 22, of China, Justin M. Savell, 25, of Litchfield and Kellen A. Carter, 25, of Liberty, were all charged with criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of a scheduled drug. Savell, the driver, also was charged with operating a vehicle on a suspended driver's license, police said.

All three remained in custody Thursday afternoon, Liberty said. Hamilton was being held on $2,500 bail and Savell on $1,000 bail.

Carter's bail was set at $2,500, but he also was being held on a probation hold, Liberty said.

Deputies stopped their vehicle northbound on Interstate 95 shortly after 7 p.m. Wednesday. Police recovered two grams of heroin and several syringes, valued at about $600, Liberty said. Police also seized the vehicle.

"Both investigations and subsequent arrests were the result of several months of investigation and evidence collection," Liberty said. "Central Maine has a serious opiate addiction problem. Over the past three years, there has been a large increase in heroin and illegal prescription medication use. We are aggressively pursuing leads."

Craig Crosby--623-3811, Ext. 433

ccrosby@centralmaine.com