Josh Cook, Methamphetamine Distribution, Maine 2019

BANGOR, Maine – Josh Cook, a 26-year-old Mars Hill man, pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, a charge that carries up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. He also faces between 3 years and a lifetime of supervised release.

According to court records, between approximately July 2018 and May 2019, members of the conspiracy obtained methamphetamine in western and southern states from sources in Mexico. Josh Cook and his co-conspirators then distributed the drugs in Aroostook County and other parts of central and northern Maine.

Cook’s plea comes after an investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, with the assistance of multiple state and local law enforcement agencies. The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Cook will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrate the commitment of law enforcement agencies to combatting the flow of methamphetamine into Maine and disrupting the criminal networks that distribute it.

Cook’s guilty plea marks a significant step in that effort. We will continue to work tirelessly to identify and prosecute those who engage in this type of activity.

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