Federal agents slammed a brutal crackdown on a multi-state drug ring flooding rural Maine with fentanyl, crack, and heroin, arresting 15 individuals from Indian Township to the Bronx. The sweep, led by the DOJ and U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank, charges Robert McKenna, 48, of Indian Township, Maine; Renita Honea, 57, Jonesport; Chandra Hanscom, 44, Cutler; Barry McCarthy, 43, Columbia; Cody Look, 30, Cutler; William Smeal, 32, Hancock; Ralph Sawtelle, 27, Lubec; Vestin Drisko, 40, Beals Island; Cinque Grasette, 42, New York, NY; Mujahedeen Hasan, 28, Bronx; Miquel Angel Franco, 22, Bronx; Milo Danell Germany, 21, Bronx; Julian Lloyd, 24, Bronx; Jordy Collado, 18, New York, NY; and Kevin Leroy Barner, 53, Bronx, with distribution and possession offenses tied to a sprawling trafficking network.
McKenna and Hasan face charges of distributing crack. Honea and Drisko are accused of distributing crack and heroin, plus running drug houses. Hanscom is charged with heroin distribution. Look, Collado, Christopher Cruz, 30, Bronx, and Christopher Martinez, 29, Bronx, face possession with intent to distribute crack. Smeal and Lloyd are charged with fentanyl trafficking. McCarthy, Sawtelle, and Timothy Cates, 40, of Cutler—charged today—are accused of maintaining drug-involved premises. Grasette faces crack and heroin distribution counts. Franco and Germany are charged with intent to distribute cocaine.
Barner was indicted March 28 on possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack and was arrested yesterday. Cruz, Martinez, and Cates were charged today by criminal complaint. The charges stem from a deep-dive investigation tracing the flow of crack, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl from New York City to Washington and Hancock Counties in Maine—a deadly pipeline feeding addiction in tight-knit coastal communities.
Yesterday’s takedown included seven search warrants executed across Downeast Maine. Agents seized a sawed-off shotgun, multiple firearms, and large quantities of crack and fentanyl. The cache of weapons underscores the violent potential of the operation. Authorities didn’t just target users—they moved up the chain, targeting supply lines and distribution hubs disguised as residential properties.
If convicted, Barner faces five to 40 years in federal prison and a $5,000,000 fine. The others charged with drug trafficking face up to 20 years and $1,000,000 in fines. Those accused of operating drug houses, including McCarthy, Sawtelle, and Cates, face up to 20 years and $500,000 fines. All defendants remain presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in U.S. District Court.
The investigation was conducted by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Maine State Police, FBI, DEA, Washington County and Hancock County Sheriff’s Offices, with support from ATF, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, Secret Service, U.S. Marshals, and Maine Marine Patrol. It’s part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) mission to dismantle high-level trafficking operations through federal, state, and local collaboration—a coordinated strike in the ongoing war against America’s opioid and stimulant crisis.
Related Federal Cases
- Carlito Rios, Jordan Jones Sentenced in Elmira Fentanyl Ring · North Carolina
- Naquan Eley Gets 6 Years for Crack, Heroin Ring · Maine
- Providence Couple Indicted in Fentanyl-Laced Heroin Bust · Rhode Island
- Buffalo Man Gets Nearly 6 Years for Crack Cocaine Sales · Washington
- Kayla Thistlewood Gets 8+ Years for Maine Drug Trafficking · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Maine
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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