Wayne Smith, Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Distribution, Maine 2021

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Wayne Smith, Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Distribution, Bangor, ME, 2021

BANGOR, Maine: A former Bangor resident was sentenced to a lengthy prison term for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker handed down an 85-month prison sentence to Wayne Smith, 32, as part of a supervised release that includes three years of supervision. The sentence was handed down after Smith was found to have conspired with others to traffic methamphetamine and fentanyl between January 2018 and December 2021.

According to court records, Smith’s participation in the conspiracy led to contacts with local law enforcement that resulted in the seizure of drugs, firearms, drug paraphernalia, and other items. The investigation was a collaborative effort between the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, with assistance provided by local police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle, and Houlton.

U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee praised the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office in the case. The investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation aimed at identifying, disrupting, and dismantling the highest-level drug traffickers and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States.

The case is one of 21 defendants in this and related cases. Ten other defendants have pleaded guilty in this case, and four other participants in the conspiracy were sentenced in prior related cases. Six additional defendants have been charged, and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Smith’s sentence brings to a close a significant chapter in the fight against organized crime in Maine. The prosecution highlights the importance of collaboration and coordination between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal organizations.

The OCDETF initiative has been instrumental in identifying and prosecuting high-level drug traffickers and money launderers in the United States. The success of the initiative demonstrates the effectiveness of a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach in leveraging the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.