CARIBOU, Maine — Caribou police arrested two men on Monday when the driver of a vehicle failed to stop at the officer’s request and a passenger was allegedly in possession of fentanyl.
At around 4:44 p.m. on Dec. 28, officer Kegan McPherson attempted to stop a tan 2006 Chevrolet Express van on the Fort Fairfield Road in Caribou. The vehicle’s driver, Matthew Sawyer, 37, of Fort Fairfield, continued driving onto the River Road, where he stopped behind a shop, police said.
McPherson arrested Sawyer and charged him with eluding an officer and violating conditions of release, both of which are Class C crimes, as well as driving to endanger and attaching false plates to his vehicle, which are Class E crimes. Sawyer had four prior outstanding warrants for his arrest.
During the search of Sawyer’s vehicle, McPherson, officer Hunter Flynn and Sgt. Chad Cochran also found the passenger, Steven Berthiaume, 40, of Perham, to be in possession of fentanyl, according to police. Berthiaume was arrested and charged with possession of schedule W drugs, a Class C crime. He had no prior bail warrants for his arrest.
Both Sawyer and Berthiaume were transported to the Aroostook County Jail in Houlton. A March 2021 trial date has been set at the Caribou District Court.
