Sanford man, OOB woman nabbed on heroin charges during separate incidents in York

Leah Thurlow,and Jorge Medina (York County Jail photos)

YORK, Maine - A Sanford man and an Old Orchard Beach woman were arrested on heroin trafficking charges during separate incidents Friday evening on the Maine Turnpike.

Both Jorge Medina, 36, of Sanford, and Leah Thurlow, 59, of Old Orchard Beach, were charged with felony trafficking in heroin. Thurlow was additionally charged with violating conditions of release from a previous arrest.

The potential sting on Medina developed when investigators from the Sanford Police Department received a tip on Friday that he would be traveling to Massachusetts to pick up a large amount of heroin to be later sold in the Sanford area. According to an MDEA press release received on Saturday, agents were contacted and began a surveillance of Medina.

Around 6:30 p.m. agents observed a vehicle in which Medina was a passenger enter the Maine from New Hampshire. State Police troopers then conducted a traffic stop on the Maine Turnpike in York.

A State Police drug canine was brought in and alerted lawmen to the presence of drugs on Medina, a search resulting in the seizure of approximately 32 grams (320 doses) of suspected heroin, four grams of crack cocaine and four grams of cocaine hydrochloride, which can be further processed to produce cocaine base.

Medina was arrested and transported to the York County Jail where bail was set at $25,000 cash. The operator of the vehicle was issued a traffic summons and released. Approximate street value of the seized drugs is $6,000.
Coincidentally, while agents and troopers were conducting the Medina investigation and arrest, assisting agents observed a vehicle traveling northbound from New Hampshire being operated by Thurlow, who was arrested in early March for possessing heroin after she was stopped on the Maine Turnpike while returning from Massachusetts with heroin. She was presently out on bail on those charges.

As part of her bail conditions, troopers stopped Thurlow's vehicle for agents to conduct a search, which yielded seizure of about 16 grams (160 doses) of suspected heroin. Thurlow was arrested and transported to the York County Jail. No bail was set due to her violating her present bail. Approximate street value of the seized heroin is $2,500.