Lewiston Crack Dealer Gets Nine Years

PORTLAND, ME – Lamar Young, 30, formerly of Lewiston, Maine, is heading to federal prison for nine years after being sentenced today for his role in a crack cocaine distribution conspiracy. U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal handed down the sentence, alongside five years of supervised release, after Young pleaded guilty on November 28, 2016.

The case, prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig M. Wolff, detailed a brazen operation that flooded the streets of Lewiston with crack. According to court records, Young and his crew weren’t just street-level dealers; they were orchestrating a supply chain, pooling resources to buy powder cocaine and crack from suppliers in Massachusetts.

The operation, active in late 2012 and early 2013, wasn’t a haphazard affair. Young and his co-conspirators weren’t waiting for product to come to them. They actively transported the drugs into Maine, then cooked the powder cocaine into the more potent, and lucrative, crack form within an apartment in Lewiston. This wasn’t a small-time hustle either – the conspiracy involved the distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base, a significant quantity under federal law.

The feds weren’t fooled. A joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Lewiston Police Department, and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) dismantled the operation. Agents traced the flow of money and drugs, building a solid case against Young and his associates. While Young is the first to receive a lengthy federal sentence, authorities haven’t ruled out further charges against others involved.

This conviction is a clear message: bringing dangerous drugs like crack into Maine communities won’t be tolerated. The nine-year sentence reflects the seriousness of the offense and the damage crack cocaine inflicts on individuals and neighborhoods. The streets of Lewiston are a little safer today, but the fight against drug trafficking is far from over.

Contact: Craig M. Wolff, Assistant United States Attorney, (207) 780-3257, for further information regarding this case.