BELFAST — A Searsport woman has been sentenced to four years in prison with all but six months suspended as a result of a May 10 drug bust.

Astin Merry, 32, was convicted of unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs, and violating conditions of release, after law enforcement set up a controlled buy of heroin from her Searsport residence. She is to serve two years of probation, and pay a $400 fine. 

According to court documents, a Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) agent purchased a white powder from Merry.

A test of the powder identified it as fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. It is often between 50-100 times more potent than morphine, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Fentanyl can be administered in hospitals as a part of anesthesia, but taking the drug recreationally is dangerous. This is due to the slight difference between a therapeutic level of the drug, and what could be a fatal amount, according to the Institute.

It is also prescribed for pain, and comes as both a lozenge and a transdermal patch. It is the patch that users typically extract the drug from, to use or sell.  

After securing a warrant, MDEA agents searched Merry’s home. During that search, Merry was located in the bedroom, where a scale and “pile of white powder,” was also discovered, according to the agent’s affidavit.

Merry was also sentenced to six months for violating conditions of release as a result of the May 10 incident.

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com