Police arrest 2 Greenville men and seize $20,000 in drugs

GREENVILLE — Police arrested two men accused of trafficking crack cocaine and fentanyl and seized nearly $20,000 in drugs during a traffic stop in Greenville.

Kade Ireland, 21, of Greenville was charged with aggravated trafficking, possession of schedule drugs and violation of bail. Lukas Schneider, 29, of Greenville was charged with aggravated trafficking and furnishing scheduled drugs, according to the Piscataquis County District Attorney’s Office. 

The men, who were booked into the Piscataquis County Jail in Dover-Foxcroft, appeared in court via Zoom on Thursday. A judge set bail at $50,000 cash for Ireland and $25,000 cash for Schneider.

Police made the arrest Tuesday based on their observations of the dark-colored SUV the men were using and following a two-month investigation of 5 Thearn Road in Greenville, according to the district attorney’s office. Authorities said the case is significant because one of the defendants told police he traveled to Massachusetts to purchase fentanyl.

“From our point of view, dealers buying fentanyl in Massachusetts and returning to Maine for resale pose a threat to the health of our communities,” Assistant District Attorney R. Christopher Almy said. “Addiction causes people to commit other crimes so they can acquire cash to buy addictive drugs.

“Fentanyl is a problem. It sells for roughly $150 per gram.”

Police seized more than 120 grams of fentanyl and 10 grams of crack cocaine, the Greenville Police Department said. The estimated street value was $18,000 and $1,500 for the fentanyl and the crack cocaine, respectively.

“We’re empathetic to drug addiction, but we’re not going to tolerate drug trafficking,” Lt. Josh Guay said. “We’re trying to end it.”

It’s common to see drug traffickers travel to Massachusetts, sometimes every few days or weekly, to purchase large quantities of drugs that they’ll redistribute in Maine, Guay said. He estimated that police seized from 1,200 to 1,500 doses, depending on the method used to administer the drugs.

“It’s not significant just because it’s a small town,” Guay said, adding that the amount of fentanyl police found would also be considered substantial in cities such as Bangor and Portland.

Ireland was already out on bail for felony possession of fentanyl, trafficking and violation of condition of release before police arrested him Tuesday, according to the district attorney’s office.

Police also summonsed a 31-year-old Rockwood woman on a criminal driving charge, police said. She was with Ireland and Schneider. 

Ireland and Schneider are scheduled to appear in a Dover-Foxcroft court on March 7.