SHERMAN – Two Aroostook County men who were driving back to the area after an out-of-state trip made an unexpected detour to the Aroostook County Jail in Houlton on Saturday after Maine Drug Enforcement Agents seized more than 12 ounces of cocaine from their vehicle during a stop in Sherman.
DEA Division Commander Darrell Crandall said Monday that Brad Plourde, 22, of Eagle Lake and Donald Thibault, 48, of Winterville were arrested just before noon Saturday on Interstate 95 in Sherman.
Crandall said that Plourde had been under investigation by the DEA for several months for suspicion of cocaine trafficking.
Plourde and Thibault reportedly left Eagle Lake in Thibault’s 1986 Ford Ranger on Friday afternoon, accompanied by a 17-year-old female passenger.
Agents followed the vehicle out of state Friday evening and back into Maine at about 8 a.m. on Saturday, according to Crandall.
Maine State Police and officers from the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department assisted in pulling the vehicle over in Sherman.
A police dog sniffed out the cocaine, which was hidden in a compartment inside the vehicle. The cocaine weighed more than 12 ounces and has a retail value of more than $35,000.
Plourde and Thibault both were charged with Aggravated Trafficking in Scheduled Drugs, a Class A felony.
The juvenile was released to her parents.
During his initial appearance in Maine District Court in Houlton on Monday, Plourde’s bail was set at $50,000 surety or $5,000 cash. Further information about his status was unavailable.
Thibault is expected to make an initial court appearance today.
If convicted, the two could face up to 40 years in prison.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, Crandall said Monday.
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