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| Jason Sirois |
CONNOR — A Van Buren man was arrested on May 11 in conjunction with the discovery of a methamphetamine lab in Connor.
Jason Sirois, 34, has been charged with class “B” trafficking in methamphetamine, but Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) agents also believe they have sufficient evidence to charge him for an instance on April 16 in Van Buren where a garbage disposal employee inhaled fumes from a meth lab that had been discarded into a commercial dumpster.
MDEA Commander Darrell Crandall explained that Sirois was named a suspect after the April 16 incident, and agents put Sirois and some of his associates under surveillance; they learned that Sirois was traveling to a remote Shean Road location.
On May 10, agents discreetly entered the woods and found an active methamphetamine manufacturing operation; on Thursday evening when Sirois approached the lab site, MDEA Agents, assisted by agents of the U.S. Border Patrol, took him into custody without incident.
The lab was secured overnight, and MDEA’s lab team returned to Aroostook County around noon on May 12.
Crandall explained that after the lab team made the area safe, they began to collect evidence.
“The search involved the wooded area, the shed of an unsuspecting property owner and Sirois’ vehicle,” he said. The process took about four hours.
Crandall also mentioned that, in addition to the Border Patrol, MDEA Agents were assisted in the investigation, arrest and seizure of the lab site by officers with the Van Buren Police Department, Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office, Maine State Police, Department of Environmental Protection and the Caribou Fire Department.
Sirois is charged with Class B, trafficking in methamphetamine; if convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.
Sirois made his initial appearance in court on May 11; the judge set bail at $10,000 cash or $25,000 surety and if released, Sirois must have a court approved 24-hour custodian; he was also ordered to relinquish his passport and not leave the state of Maine. As of noon on Tuesday, Sirois had not made bail.
