CAMDEN — Camden and Rockport police officers Sunday arrested a 31-year-old Rockland man with outstanding warrants after complaints of a large amount of traffic in and out of his Route 1 motel room. That arrest led to a search of the motel room and the seizure of heroin, thousands in cash and other evidence, and the arrest of the man’s girlfriend, also for trafficking in heroin.

Police initially arrested Justin Luszcki of Rockland on Sunday, July 19, on outstanding warrants from Rockland Unified Court for illegal possession of heroin and violating conditions of release. Luszczki was also on bail from an arrest by Rockland Police for possession of heroin. Later on Sunday, police arrested 19-year-old Cammi Colby, of Rockland.

According to the affidavit, the call about suspicious activity at the motel came around 1:30 p.m. from one of its employees.

Camden Police Officer Brook Hartshorn took the call, and responded after learning that the room had been rented to Luszczki. She learned that in addition to the warrants, Luszczki was on bail conditions, including being subject to unannounced searches for illegal and prohibited substances.

When Hartshorn arrived at the motel with Rockport Police Officer Dana Smith and Sgt. Travis Ford, a tan pickup truck was pulling out of the parking lot. Inside were a female operator and a female passenger, and someone in the back seat who Smith thought he recognized as Luszczki.

Smith pursued the truck and made a traffic stop and inquired if Luszczki would allow them to search his hotel room in lieu of his bail conditions he said "No," and was placed under arrest for violating conditions of release for refusing a bail check.

Luszczki had been staying at the motel since July 16 and had paid for a week's stay upfront in cash.

While at the motel, Hartshorn reached out to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency. After learning about the incident, Special Agent Max King responded to the traffic stop where Smith was, and found Luszczki in custody and being transported to Knox County Jail. He also learned that the two females had left the scene, and that one of them, Colby, had told Smith she was going to her mother's home in Rockland.

King located Colby and she allegedly told him there would be needles and heroin in the room, according to the affidavit, and that there "had been 50 grams but she sold most of it."

Before the search warrant was executed on the motel room, King said that MDEA Special Supervisory Agent Jim Pease conducted an interview with Luszczki at the jail. Pease reported to King that Luszczki allegedly admitted that he "had a bad addiction, using about a gram of heroin a day, that both Luszczki and Colby were booting up and both were selling heroin in order to afford their addiction."

Luszczki also allegedly told Pease he didn't make any money selling the heroin, and said there wasn't any money in the room, according to the court document.

After obtaining the signed search warrant, the room was searched and officers located approximately 6.5 grams of heroin in the microwave oven and approximately $13,410 in cash, both of which were confiscated.

Colby was charged with unlawful trafficking in schedule W drugs (heroin), Class B.

Luszczki was charged with two counts of aggravated trafficking in schedule W drugs (heroin), Class A, violation of conditions of release, Class E, and criminal forfeiture of $13,400.

The first trafficking charge was elevated to aggravated because of Luszczki's previous drug convictions. The second aggravated trafficking charge is due to the quantity of heroin seized.

Luszczki was previously convicted on April 12, 2005, in Knox County Superior Court with unlawful trafficking of schedule E drugs, and on Jan. 23, 2008, in Knox County Superior Court with aggravated furnishing of scheduled drugs.b

Colby posted bail and has a court appearance scheduled for Sept. 14.

Because he was charged with violating conditions of release and had outstanding warrants, Luszczki was held without bail until he appeared in Knox County Unified Court today. At that appearance, Judge Susan Sparaco set bail at $10,000 cash. A motion to revoke his pre-conviction bail was also filed in court July 20.

Luszczki’s next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 18 at 8;30 a.m. in Knox County Unified Court in Rockland.

Reach Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards at hollysedwards@penbaypilot.com and 706-6655.