SKOWHEGAN — A Bangor man was sentenced to eight years in prison for drug trafficking and furnishing charges, some of which linked him to the 2022 overdose death of a 26-year-old woman in Madison.

Andrew L. Blais, 38, pleaded guilty Wednesday, as part of an agreement with prosecutors, to three Class A counts of aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs, two Class B counts of aggravated unlawful furnishing of scheduled drugs and one Class C count of unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, according to court records.

The plea on the first trafficking count — one of two counts out of the six which included language linking the drug trafficking to causing the woman’s death — was technically an Alford plea, court records show. That means that Blais did not admit guilt to that offense but recognized that the state could provide sufficient evidence for a judge or jury to find him guilty.

Per the agreement, Blais is to serve eight years in state prison, followed by four years in federal prison and three years of federal supervised release for another drug-related case in which he was sentenced in U.S. District Court in 2024, according to court records.

District Attorney Maeghan Maloney, whose office serves Kennebec and Somerset counties, said the consecutive state and federal sentences will prevent any early release of Blais from state prison.

Superior Court Chief Justice Robert E. Mullen accepted the plea agreement and imposed the sentence during a proceeding at the Somerset County Superior Court in Skowhegan, court records show.

Blais’ court-appointed attorney, Kaylee J. Folster of the Bangor law firm Vafiades, Brountas & Kominsky, did not respond to an email inquiry Thursday.

The charges against Blais stem from a Somerset County Sheriff’s Office investigation into the death of Haley Farrin on July 27, 2022, in Madison, according to court filings.

Two of the six counts on the indictment a grand jury returned in October 2023 indicate the scheduled drug, fentanyl, “was a contributing factor to the death of” Farrin.

Maloney, speaking later in the day at the county commissioners’ meeting downstairs in the courthouse, said the specific charges including that language are uncommon.

Maloney also said the case serves as a reminder that drug trafficking has human victims.

“The courtroom was filled with the immediate and extended family of the victim who spoke of the horrific pain of losing their loved one,” Maloney said in a statement. “The judge spoke of the cost of illegal drugs on our society and the human lives being taken.”

The family approved of the deal her office offered to Blais to avoid the potential further pain of going through a jury trial, Maloney said.

Haley Farrin’s father is state Sen. Brad Farrin, R-Norridgewock, who has been outspoken about addressing the opioid overdose epidemic in recent years.

“It has been almost three years since she passed,” said Brad Farrin, reached via telephone. “This has been hanging over us for over two years, whether there was going to be a plea agreement or go to trial.”

Haley Farrin worked in accounting, enjoyed horseback riding and traveling and loved spending time with her family, according to an obituary published in the Morning Sentinel.

“She was so loved by many and will always be remembered for her contagious laugh, big smile, and even bigger heart,” the obituary said.

Brad Farrin acknowledged the relative rarity of the charges brought against Blais, and said he does not think seeking more convictions like this one will be the ultimate solution to solve the opioid crisis. Education and treatment programs are important, too, the senator said.

“I really do wish I had an answer,” he said. “Because if I could do anything to keep a family from going through what we’ve gone through, I’d do it tomorrow. … It’s a hard, hard situation.”

At the county commissioners’ meeting, Maloney praised the work of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, particularly Detective David Cole, in investigating the case. Sheriff Dale Lancaster also praised Maloney’s office for prosecuting the case.

According to court filings, Haley Farrin’s mother and stepfather found her dead from an apparent drug overdose at her residence on Horsetail Hill Road in Madison.

Along with emergency medical personnel, Cole responded to the scene, and upon searching the home, found several drug-related items and a bag with several grams of fentanyl on a couch, according to court records. Blais and his girlfriend were staying at the home, prosecutors wrote.

Lab analysis later established that Blais’ DNA was on the bag, according to prosecutors. Farrin’s ex-boyfriend also told investigators that he and Farrin “always got their drugs” from Blais.

Blais’ attorney was unsuccessful in efforts to suppress evidence obtained from Cole’s search, court records show.

Mullen, the justice, also denied a request from Folster to change the trial’s venue. She had argued in a filing that Brad Farrin’s elected position as state senator would make it unlikely for Blais to get a fair jury trial since he was going to be called as a witness and is a family member of the victim.

While awaiting trial since his arrest in October 2023, Blais had been held in jail on $50,000 cash bail, court records show.

“Haley would not want us to let this define who she was or who we are,” Brad Farrin said. “We want to continue on and live life and continue to try and make a difference.”