Two men were arrested on the Maine Turnpike this week as they were returning from New York City with a large quantity of what is believed to be heroin and cocaine to be sold in the Wilton area, according to police.

Jeffrey Brown

Drug agents and Maine State Police stopped a vehicle Tuesday around 3 p.m. as it traveled on the highway in Auburn, state police spokesman Stephen McCausland said.

In the car they found 129 grams of heroin and 33 grams of cocaine.

Rashawn G. Brown, 41, of New York City, and Jeffrey S. Brown, 53, of Wilton, were both charged with multiple drug felonies. The men have no family relationship.

Each faces charges of aggravated trafficking in Schedule W drugs, unlawful trafficking in schedule W drugs, illegal importation of heroin and cocaine.

The importation charges differ from trafficking charges because the men are alleged to have crossed state lines with the illegal substances.

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Police said Rashawn Brown had been using hotels in the Wilton area as a base of operations, and traveled to New York regularly to buy large quantities of heroin and cocaine before returning to Maine to resell them.

Both men appeared in Lewiston District Court Wednesday and were ordered held at the Androscoggin County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail each.

The MDEA said it will continue to investigate the case and more arrests are likely.

Matt Byrne can be contacted at 791-6303 or at:

mbyrne@pressherald.com

Twitter: MattByrnePPH