Three Penobscot County men were arrested Tuesday and charged with trafficking cocaine.
Chase Kane, 28, of Bangor, Benjamin Hughes, 28, of Brewer, and Hayden Taylor, 30, of Brewer were caught as the result of investigation over several months by the U.S. Postal Investigation Service, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, according to the MDEA.
Investigators were looking into suspected cocaine distribution throughout Penobscot County and elsewhere when they identified Kane as a suspect.
Early Tuesday morning police stopped a vehicle driven by Kane on Interstate 95 just north of Newport. Hughes was a passenger in the vehicle.
Police searched the vehicle and found four pounds of cocaine, which the MDEA estimated as having a street value of more than $200,000. Kane and Hughes were arrested and brought to the Penobscot County Jail where they were charged with Class A, aggravated trafficking in schedule W drugs (cocaine). The charge was aggravated because of the amount of drugs, according to the MDEA.
Kane had been on bail and was additionally charged with violating conditions of his release.
After the arrests, police searched 315 Griffin Road in Bangor, where they seized more illegal drugs, guns and cash. During the search, they arrested Taylor who was found with a backpack containing cocaine, $3,000 in suspected drug proceeds and a loaded semi-automatic handgun, which he was prohibited from carrying because he is a convicted felon, according to the MDEA.
Taylor was arrested and brought to Penobscot County Jail where he was charged with Class A, aggravated trafficking in schedule W drugs and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
All three were expected to make an initial appearance at the Penobscot County Unified Criminal Court in Bangor on Wednesday.
