MAJOR DRUG ARRESTS RESULT FROM INVESTIGATION

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Friday, January 16, 2015

Fourteen Charged in Connection with Lewiston Drug Arrests

A federal grand jury in sitting in Portland indicted Tasheem Carter, 29, of Far Rockaway, New York, and Lewiston, Maine, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and oxycodone and Christian Dent, 31, of Far Rockaway and Lewiston, for conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced today.

Also charged were Sabree Branch, 23, of Philadelphia and Lewiston, for use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of cocaine base and unlawful use of a communication facility; Michael Boney,  28, of Far Rockaway and Auburn, Maine, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base; Isar Coleman, 31, of Lewiston, for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base; Angela Crabtree, 32, of Auburn, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; Katelynn Dubois, 21, of Wales, Maine, for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone; Lee Eirby, 66, of Lewiston, for maintaining a drug-involved premises; Isaac Fofie, 26, of New Sharon, Maine, for conspiracy to distribute heroin and distribution of heroin; Kourtney Francoeur, 21, of Lewiston, for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base; Jamel Hamilton, of Far Rockaway, for conspiracy to distribute heroin; Willie Jackson, 32, of Lewiston, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; Rebecca Thompson, 33, of Lewiston, for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base; and Barney Whitfield, 33, of Lewiston, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and heroin.

According to court records, the charges arise out of the distribution of cocaine and heroin in the greater Lewiston and Auburn area.  This morning, federal, state and local agents arrested Branch, Coleman, Crabtree, Dubois, Eirby, Fofie, Francoeur, Hamilton, Jackson, Thompson and Whitfield while executing warrants.  Carter, Dent and Boney were all previously arrested on criminal complaints.  The defendants arrested today will make their initial appearances in the U.S. District Court in Portland today.

Dent faces between five and 40 years in prison, a $4 million fine and supervised release for life on the drug charge or between 10 years and life in prison and an $8 million fine if he has a prior felony drug conviction.  On the gun charge, Dent also faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release.  For the gun charge, Branch faces between five years and life in prison, a fine of $250,000 and five years of supervised release; for the possession charge, Branch faces up to one year in prison, a $100,000 fine and up to one year of supervised release; and for the communication facility charge, faces up to four years in prison, a $250,000 fine and supervised release of up to one year.  Eirby faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release for maintaining a drug-involved premises.  The other defendants face up to 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and supervised release for life.

The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Lewiston and Auburn Police Departments, the Maine State Police, the Southern Maine Gang Task Force comprised of agents and officers from the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Portland and Biddeford Police Departments.

An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an accusation and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

On Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015, at 10:30 a.m, U.S. Attorney Delahanty, Chief Michael Bussiere for the Lewiston Police and District Attorney Andrew Robinson for Androscoggin County will hold a press conference regarding these cases at the Lewiston Police Department at 171 Park Street in Lewiston.  Media members should arrive by 10:20 a.m., and will be asked to provide identification credentials.