A Clinton man will serve 24 months in federal prison for distributing cocaine, which the prosecutor said he kept under the tallest pile of hay on his property.

Nathan Lake, 35, was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Bangor. He had pleaded guilty on Aug. 10, 2015, and went into custody of the U.S. Marshals Service at that point.

According to the prosecution’s version of the offense, a confidential informant who was working with investigators arranged to pay Lake $1,400 for 2 ounces of cocaine previously purchased on March 25, 2010. The informant then was to pick up another ounce of cocaine being fronted to him for resale.

“Lake explained how (the confidential informant) should travel down the gravel road to a gate and just on the other side of the gate, he would see a large amount of hay on the side of the road,” a memo by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Casey said. “Lake explained that the cocaine was hidden under a bunch of hay that stuck up higher than the rest of the hay. Lake said it was only ten feet from the gate and told (the confidential informant) to call if he could not find it.”

An agent working with the informant then found the cocaine “concealed under a large clump of hay and contained within a waterproof food storage container,” Casey continued. “Within the container were two Ziplock bags containing what appeared to be cocaine.”

Casey said it was determined to be 27.4 ounces of cocaine.

Lake was represented at Tuesday’s hearing by attorney Zachary W. Brandmeir.

Lake was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John A. Woodcock Jr., who ordered that Lake remain on supervised release for three years after the 24-month prison sentence.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams

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