A 33-year-old man living with Randolph Town Councilor James Burgess is accused of dealing methamphetamine and other drugs from the home. Burgess is charged with possession of methamphetamine.

RANDOLPH — State Police suspected drug-dealing activity at Town Councilor James Burgess' Fairmount Avenue home was happening for months before Tuesday raid Tuesday that led to his arrest, according to court records.

The 49-year-old Randolph politician pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and methamphetamine possession in Quincy District Court. He had no comment for reporters as he left the courthouse around 11:30 a.m. 

Judge Mary Orfanello did not impose bail, but she ordered Burgess to abstain from drugs and alcohol and to submit to random drug testing for the duration of his case.

Burgess was charged after police obtained a warrant for his home following a four-month investigation into a suspected drug dealer that led them to 33-year-old Scott M. Donaghue, who lived with Burgess at 12 Fairmount Ave., prosecutors said.

Burgess would not comment on his relationship to Donaghue after he walked out of the probation office.

Police were tipped off to drug-dealing activity at the house on Sept. 28 after they stopped someone leaving the Fairmount Street home and noticed drug paraphernalia inside the car, Assistant District Attorney Emil Atta said.

After a police search turned up a bag containing a whitish clear substance, the driver admitted it was a $300 bag of methamphetamines weighing 3.5 grams, according to a police report. He told police he bought the drugs from Donaghue at the Fairmount Avenue home.

During an investigation police learned Donaghue sold methamphetamine and possibly other drugs from the Fairmount Street address, but kept his supply at a Public Storage facility at 805 North St., Randolph, where he rented two units, prosecutors said.

At 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, police raided the storage units and the 12 Fairmount Ave. home. Burgess is the sole owner of the home, according to town records.

Burgess was inside when police arrived.

"He told police there was 1 gram of methamphetamine inside a nightstand in his bedroom and told police he was a user of the substance," Atta said.

Donaghue was arrested leaving the house. Police seized $761 found inside his Nissan Frontier pickup truck, the police report stated.

Detectives searched two units rented to Donaghue at the North Street facility. Inside, police found 3 grams of cocaine, 5 grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms, 16 Ecstasy pills, 27 grams of methamphetamines and $1,215, authorities said. Burgess' name was not registered to the units.

Donaghue's bail was set at $6,000. He is charged with trafficking methamphetamine, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of Ecstasy pills with intent to distribute, possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms with intent to distribute and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

Both men are due to return to court on March 12.