A Dixmont woman pleaded guilty to accusations she intended to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in district court on Friday.
Sarah McBreairty, 33, faces more than 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute scheduled drugs, along with pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to make false statements to federal firearms dealers, according to Joel Casey, assistant United States attorney.
McBreairty was one of 16 people suspected of trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot County and Aroostook County over a period of about four years.
The following people were indicted on a charge of conspiring to distribute drugs between Jan. 1, 2018, and Dec. 31, 2021: Daquan Corbett, 27, of Brockton, Massachusetts; Carol Gordon, 52, of Bangor; James King, 52, of Caribou; John Miller, 21, Caribou; James Valante, 40, of Linneus; Andrew Adams, 30, of Windham; Thomas Hammond, 23, of Charleston; Wayne Smith, 31, of Charleston; Shelby Loring, 27, of Bangor; Joshua Young, 31, of Presque Isle; Aaron Rodgers, 41, of Bangor; Jason Cunrod, 41, of Caribou; Joshua Jerrell, 27, of Orrington; Christopher Coty, 41,of Windham, along with McBreairty, in February 2022.
Gordon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute scheduled drugs on March 14. She has not made a court appearance yet, but faces up to 20 years in prison.
The indictment alleges that the conspirators were responsible for distributing more than a pound of methamphetamine and nearly a pound of fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties.
The charges stem from a September 2019 stop on Interstate 95 during which Maine State Police troopers found five pounds of methamphetamine. That stop prompted the investigation into the drug ring that authorities say lasted about four years.
McBreairty was accused of transporting and distributing scheduled drugs, according to Casey. McBreairty also was accused of planning to make false statements to a federally licensed Holden firearms dealer in order to obtain guns as part of the trafficking scheme.
The attempted purchase was denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
A sentencing date has not been set. The other defendants face up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million if convicted of conspiring to distribute drugs.
