A Skowhegan man and a Norridgewock man have been arrested and charged with drug violations over the past two weeks as Somerset County deputies have been busy stopping cars and confiscating drugs, according to the chief deputy.

Ronald Bubier Somerset County Sheriff’s Office photo

A Skowhegan man was arrested Tuesday night in Madison after driving away from a Somerset County Sheriff’s Office deputy who was trying to stop him on a traffic violation and later found 61 grams of heroin, drug paraphernalia and $3,831 in cash in his vehicle.

Ronald Bubier, 32, was arrested and charged with aggravated trafficking in a scheduled W drug, Class A; possession of scheduled W drug, Class C; operating after suspension, habitual offender, Class D; failure to stop for a police officer; and possession of drug paraphernalia, Class E, according to Michael Mitchell, chief deputy of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office.

Mitchell said that at 5:20 p.m. Tuesday, Deputy Craig Dyer tried to stop the gold 2004 Buick Century Bubier was driving on Main Street in Madison, but instead of stopping, the car took off. Bubier eventually got out of the car and went into a house, according to Mitchell.

Inside the Buick, Dyer found the heroin, cash and drug paraphernalia, including a pipe for smoking heroin and a straw for snorting it, he said. The vehicle was seized as evidence, according to Mitchell. Bubier was taken to Somerset County Jail where bail was set at $10,000, he said.

Dyer’s supervisor, Cpl. Ritchie Putnam, and Detective David Cole, who had a dog, assisted Dyer in the bust.

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Jarrod Russell Somerset County Sheriff’s Office photo

At 1 a.m. April 25, Putnam stopped a vehicle just over the Madison line, on Ward Hill Road in Norridgewock, and Dyer worked on that incident also, according to Mitchell.

“They stopped a motor vehicle and the passenger bailed out and ran,” he said. “Deputies ran after him and caught him.”

They arrested Jarrod Russell, 37, of Norridgewock, and found him with 79.61 grams of heroin, 32.75 grams of methamphetamine and $9,670 in cash, according to Mitchell.

Russell was charged with Class A aggravated trafficking in Scheduled W drugs (heroin); trafficking in Class B drugs; refusing to submit to arrest; possession of drug paraphernalia; and attempting to falsify physical evidence, he said.

Russell remains in jail because he was on probation at the time for burglary and theft, according to Mitchell.

The driver of the vehicle was not charged.

Mitchell said the drugs are coming into Maine from out of state.

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