Crack Dealer Sentenced to 5½ Years

Bangor, Maine – Fern Dowling, 40, of Old Town, Maine, was sentenced to 5½ years in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base, commonly known as "crack," in Penobscot County and elsewhere.

According to court records, between January 2010 and August 2013, Dowling distributed 7.8 kilograms of crack and sold it in half-gram bags for $50 and gram bags for $100. She transferred the proceeds of her sales to her source of supply in the New Haven, Connecticut area and received cash and crack in exchange.

The investigation revealed that members of the conspiracy from New Haven included members of the Red Side Guerilla Brims, a violent street gang affiliated with the Almighty Blood Nation, a national street gang.

The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the New Haven, Connecticut Office of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the City of New Haven Police Services.

Assistant United States Attorney Joel B. Casey is available for comment on this case. Contact him at (207) 945-0373.

U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced the sentence in a statement. Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. presided over the sentencing.

The investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrate the commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold accountable those who engage in the distribution and sale of illegal narcotics.