A Lebanon man was arrested Thursday morning and charged with selling fentanyl, a drug that is often mixed with heroin and is more potent.
Francis Sinclair, 61, was taken into custody at his home at 646 River Road in Lebanon by the Maine State Police tactical team. He was charged with trafficking in Schedule W Drugs Class B. For the past three months, drug agents from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency’s York District Task Force have conducted an investigation into the distribution of heroin and fentanyl by Sinclair. Agents made several undercover purchases of the drugs at his home.
Agents and troopers, as well as three state police canine teams searched Sinclair’s home early Thursday morning. Because officers were concerned about a number of guns throughout his home, the state police tactical team handled the arrest.
Sinclair was arrested without incident. Seized were 50 grams of suspected heroin/fentanyl mix, the equivalent of 500 individual doses. Also seized were 11 firearms, about $2,000 in suspected drug proceeds, electronic scales and other evidence of drug trafficking.
Because fentanyl is 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin, there is a higher danger of overdoses.
Sinclair was taken to the York County Jail. Bail was set at $25,000 cash.
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