FARMINGTON — Three people were charged this week with selling heroin in the Franklin County area, and more arrests are expected, police said.
A drug agent arrested Logan White, 27, of Industry on Wednesday on felony charges of aggravated trafficking in schedule drugs, conspiracy to commit aggravated trafficking of scheduled drugs and illegal importation of scheduled drugs. He was being held Friday on $25,000 cash bail at the Franklin County jail in Farmington.
A conviction on the aggravated trafficking charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. A conviction on the conspiracy to commit aggravated trafficking is punishable by a maximum five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
The agent also arrested Kyle Bernard, 25, of Wilton on Wednesday on a felony charge of conspiracy to commit trafficking in scheduled drugs. He was released on $250 cash bail the same day. He is scheduled to appear in a Farmington court on June 28.
A motor vehicle stop was conducted Tuesday night in Auburn, and Lauren Leonard, 23, of Peru was arrested on felony charges of unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs and illegal importation of scheduled drugs, police said.
A substantial amount of heroin destined for Franklin County was seized, Supervising Special Agent Matthew Cashman of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency’s Western District said Friday.
Leonard also faces a misdemeanor charge of unlawful possession of illegal drugs. She was released on $800 cash bail Thursday from the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn, a corrections officer said.
The maximum punishment for the unlawful trafficking charge is 10 years and a $20,000 fine.
“We’ve been investigating these folks for several months and monitoring their activities,” Cashman said.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by MDEA with assistance from Maine State Police and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, he said.
MDEA, state police, Franklin County deputies and Rumford police executed a search warrant at White’s residence this week. Items related to drug-trafficking were seized, Cashman said.
He said the investigation is an ongoing effort to eradicate heroin from the state.
“It is a frustrating epidemic,” he said.
dperry@sunmediagroup.net
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