Maine man held on bail in Tewksbury drug case

Police reports state suspect has a history of drug offenses

TEWKSBURY >> A Maine man charged with multiple drug trafficking offenses after police allegedly found him passed out inside a Tewksbury hotel room with an array of narcotics was held on $75,000 cash bail during his arraignment in Lowell District Court on Wednesday.

Judge John Coffey set bail for Danny Taylor, 34, of Sanford, in Maine’s York County, who Tewksbury Police said was in possession of 270 grams of fentanyl, 43 grams of methamphetamine, 30 grams of crack cocaine, 14 grams of powdered cocaine and 10 oxycodone tablets at the Residences at Tewksbury.

Police reports available in court documents state the drug cache was allegedly uncovered shortly after 12:15 p.m. Tuesday, when police were called to do a well-being check on a guest at the hotel, located at 20 International Place.

Police said hotel staff called authorities, fearing the guest — later identified as Taylor — was locked inside his room while suffering a drug overdose.

According to police, hotel staff had gone to clean Taylor’s room an hour after checkout, but discovered the room was locked from the inside with the door’s latch. The staff member was able open the door just enough to see two hypodermic needles on a table inside, which police said “appeared to be loaded with drugs.”

Police reports state responding officers heard “a faint snore or agonal breathing” coming from inside the room. After failing to rouse the person, Tewksbury firefighters were called to use a tool to force open the door. Inside, police said Taylor was found passed out on the bed.

As firefighters prepared to administer the overdose-reversing drug Narcan, police said Taylor

woke up. The moments after he came to, police said Taylor was in a stupor, unable to answer questions about what kind of drugs he had consumed.

In addition to the hypodermic needles, police said they discovered a backpack that contained “a large amount of drugs,” baggies and a scale.

Police also learned on scene that Taylor had arrest warrants in Maine, for charges that include drug trafficking.

Taylor was placed under arrest, and taken to an area hospital for treatment.

According to police reports, Taylor later admitted to using “dope” on Tuesday morning, but denied knowledge of any other drugs in the hotel room.

Police said Taylor claimed the narcotics must have belonged to his friend, though there was allegedly no sign of anyone else staying in the room and hotel staff said he had checked in alone.

Police charged Taylor

with trafficking in over 200 grams of fentanyl, trafficking 18 to 36 grams of cocaine, trafficking 36 to 100 grams of methamphetamine, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of oxycodone with intent to distribute, and fugitive from justice.

Police said Taylor was also caught with brass knuckles, which led to an additional charge of carrying a dangerous weapon.

Police reports state Taylor has a “lengthy criminal history” involving similar drug offenses in Maine and New Hampshire.

In 2008, Taylor appeared in The Portland Press Herald, in Maine, after he and a woman were caught by police allegedly selling heroin from a room at the Super 8 Motel in his hometown of Sanford.

For his latest charges in Tewksbury, Taylor is scheduled to return to court for a pretrial conference on April 5.

Taylor’s attorney, Eileen Morrison, was not immediately available for comment.

Follow Aaron Curtis on Twitter @aselahcurtis