Marco Gordon, 34, of Portland and Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to conspiring to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, often referred to as crack cocaine, and to possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base.

Court records reveal that between December 2013 and January 2015, Gordon conspired with others to distribute crack cocaine. Conspirators arranged for the acquisition of drugs out of state and transported them to Maine where they were provided to retail distributors, including Gordon, who sold them in the Portland area.

During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers conducted controlled purchases of crack cocaine from members of the conspiracy. On January 9, 2015, officers arrested Gordon on Gilman Street in Portland and seized 183.6 grams of crack cocaine and over $3,400 in cash.

Gordon faces between five and 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine on each count. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Julia M. Lipez, this case was investigated by the Southern Maine Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; 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.

The Lewiston Police Department, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and Maine State Police also assisted with the investigation. This case results from the ongoing effort of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia M. Lipez is available for comment at (207) 780-3257. Thomas E. Delahanty II, United States Attorney for the District of Maine, announced the guilty plea.