A Skowhegan man was arrested Thursday on charges that allege he sold prescriptions pills that he said were heroin, three weeks after a drug search warrant was carried out at his home, police said.
Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster said the drug search was conducted March 2 on the property of Jacob Hemingway, 27, of Skowhegan.
The search warrant was obtained by Detective Lt. Carl E. Gottardi II and executed by Somerset County Sheriff’s Office detectives and an agent from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, who is assigned to the sheriff’s office.
The investigation that led to the search warrant showed that Hemingway allegedly was selling heroin in the Skowhegan area. Buprenorphine pills, Nitrostat pills, drug-related paraphernalia and drug-related documentation was seized during the search, police said.
Hemingway was arrested Thursday and charged with trafficking in a scheduled narcotic drugs: Buprenorphine, class B; and possession of Nitrostat, class E. Lancaster said it took so long to arrest Hemingway because his office was waiting for tests on the materials before they could charge the man.
Hemingway has one prior felony drug possession conviction in Florida and two prior misdemeanor drug possession convictions in Maine, one as recently as December 2016.
The investigation revealed that Hemingway allegedly was selling what he told his customers was heroin, for $20 each; but what actually was crushed up Buprenorphine pills, for which Hemingway has a prescription. Buprenorphine is the same type of medication as Suboxone, which is used to treat opioid addiction and dependency.
Hemingway reported that the Nitrostat pills — nitroglycerin, heart medication — in his possession were found by him at the homeless shelter and he kept them. Hemingway was living at the men’s homeless shelter on McClellan Street in Skowhegan.
The investigation is continuing and more charges against Hemingway are possible once the entire case is reviewed by the Somerset County District Attorney’s Office, Lancaster said.
Hemingway is being held at the Somerset County Jail in East Madison in lieu of $10,000 cash bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 24.
Doug Harlow — 612-2367
Twitter:@Doug_Harlow
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