Two Aroostook County men were arrested Sunday in York County after 14 pounds of methamphetamine and a gun were found in the trunk of the car in which they were traveling, according to police.
Robert C. Poliero, 55, of Presque Isle and Edward Barnes, 38, of Easton were charged in U.S. District Court in Portland with one count each of possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Both are being held without bail until hearings can be held to determine if there are conditions under which they can be released. Bail hearings are expected to be held later this week.
The black Cadillac that Poliero was driving was stopped Sunday morning traveling north on Interstate 95 by a state trooper, according to the complaint. A confidential informant in The County had tripped an agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that Poliero and Barnes would be traveling to Maine that day with a large amount of methamphetamine.
The trooper pulled the car over in Wells, just north of the Ogunquit town line, after the Cadillac drifted onto the rumble strips on the shoulder and into the white line on the middle lane side as if to pass, the complaint said.
Poliero and Barnes allegedly told police that they were returning from New York City but told different stories about where they had stayed. A drug-sniffing dog was brought to the scene and indicated the presence of narcotics on Poliero and the Cadillac, the complaint said.
Troopers allegedly found 6,390 grams, or 14 pounds, of methamphetamine along with a firearm in the trunk.
If convicted, Poliero and Barnes each face between five and 40 years in federal prison and fines of up to $5 million.
This article originally appeared on www.bangordailynews.com.
