Suspect denies he sold drugs for $500
East Hardwick man accused of selling pills to informant
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By Susan Smallheer Herald Staff - Published: April 4, 2007
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — An East Hardwick man pleaded innocent Tuesday to charges he sold $500 worth of narcotic painkillers in Springfield to a confidential informant working for the state police.
Leonard May, 40, who also listed an address in Athol, Mass., is accused of selling 50 Percocet pills to the informant at a Springfield gas station August 9 for $500 in cash. Percocet is a trade name for a prescription drug containing oxycodone and acetaminophen.
The arrest was part of an ongoing investigation by the Vermont attorney general's office into drug trafficking in the Cabot area, according to an affidavit filed by police.
If convicted, May could be sentenced to up to five years in prison and fined $25,000. May told court officials he is unemployed. He was assigned a public defender, Elizabeth Kruska.
May is accused of having a cell phone conversation with the informant in which he said he was getting $1 per milligram for the pills, according to court records. He told the informant he had many different sizes of the pills, the records said.
May drove to Springfield at the informant's request to meet at a location off of Exit 7, police said. The informant was driven to the rendezvous by an undercover police officer working with the Vermont Drug Task Force.
The informant wore a hidden microphone to the meeting. Police said May sold drugs to the informant, who paid with cash police had given him.
It was not clear from the court record when May was cited on the alleged purchase.
Authorities paid the confidential informant a small amount for his or her services in the bust, police said.
May was released by District Judge Robert Bent on conditions including that he have no contact with the confidential informant.
Contact Susan Smallheer at susan.smallheer@rutlandherald.com.
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