Hartland Drug Kingpin Culver Gets 14-Year Lock for Fentanyl Ring

BANGOR, Maine – In a scathing blow to the illicit drug trade in Maine, Nicholas Culver, 41, from Hartland, was today meted out a 14-year prison sentence by U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker for his role in a fentanyl distribution ring that terrorized communities across the state.

Culver, who pleaded guilty on December 10, 2018, was caught with a cache of deadly fentanyl and a firearm, both used to further his reign of drug trafficking. The sentencing hearing revealed Culver’s weekly trips from out-of-state suppliers to central Maine homes where he distributed the lethal substance.

On the day of his arrest, law enforcement found Culver armed with a 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, nearly 30 grams of fentanyl, and drug proceeds. Culver admitted using the firearm to protect himself from potential robbers during drug deals.

Judge Walker highlighted Culver’s role in distributing one of the most lethal poisons on the illicit market, calling his actions ‘staggering’ and a threat to public safety.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation into Culver’s operations, which was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations. The OCDETF program is a multi-agency approach that identifies, disrupts, and dismantles such threats to national security.

Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.