A Bradley woman has been arrested in connection with the overdose death of a man to whom she allegedly sold fentanyl last year.
Rochelle L. Gleason, 41, is charged with aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs, a Class A crime because her sale of fentanyl to him allegedly caused his death.
The 40-year-old Bradley man died on Oct. 17, 2021, at his home.
Gleason was arrested Thursday by Bangor police on a warrant issued by the Maine State Police, according to court documents.
She made her first court appearance Friday remotely from the Penobscot County Jail. She was not asked to enter a plea to the charge because she has not yet been indicted by the Penobscot County grand jury.
District Court Judge Meghan Szylvian set bail at $30,000 cash with conditions that Gleason have no contact with members of the victim’s family.
Gleason allegedly was trafficking drugs last fall from her sister’s home in Bradley, according to the Penobscot County District Attorney’s office. The victim’s daughter, who is a minor, witnessed the drug transaction and later found her father had died of an apparent overdose.
In July 2019, Gleason was arrested after a 12-hour standoff with police in Orrington that began when she allegedly attacked a woman, punching her in the face and mouth after Gleason reportedly accused the victim of pulling her hair.
The victim was able to get away from Gleason and two men in the house to call police. When officers arrived, Gleason and the two men refused to come out of the house.
Gleason was charged with robbery, a Class A crime, and assault, a Class C crime. Information on the resolution of that case was not available late Friday afternoon.
If convicted of the aggravated drug trafficking charge, Gleason faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. She also could be ordered to reimburse the victim’s family for funeral expenses.
