Former Presque Isle resident
sentenced on drug charges
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
A former Presque Isle resident will be spending the next decade behind bars, following his sentencing Wednesday in Aroostook County Superior Court on drug-related charges.
“On Feb. 18, Keith I. Tingley, Jr., aka ‘Kit,’ 48, of Caribou, formerly of Presque Isle, was sentenced in Aroostook County Superior Court to 22 years in state prison, with all but 14 years suspended,” said Commander Peter Arno, of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.
According to Arno, this sentence came after a guilty plea by Tingley to a multitude of criminal charges, to include: manufacturing methamphetamine, unlawful furnishing of scheduled drugs, assault on a police officer and violation of conditions of release.
“On Feb. 1, 2014, the Maine Warden Service arrested Tingley for Class B aggravated furnishing of scheduled drugs. At the time of his arrest, Tingley was found to be in possession of several pills which officers initially believe to be oxycodone. After laboratory testing, however, it was discovered that the pills actually contained fentanyl, a drug estimated to be five to 15 times more potent than heroin and linked to a sharp increase in overdose deaths, nationwide,” said Arno.
A few months later, Tingley was again arrested on drug-related charges.
“On April 4, 2014, the Maine State Police along with investigators from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, deputies from the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office and officers from the Caribou Police Department executed a search at Tingley’s residence on the Old Washburn Road in Caribou. As a result of the search warrant, officers located significant evidence connected to a methamphetamine manufacturing operation. The bulk of the evidence was located in a crawl space under the mobile home,” Arno said.
As a result, on April 8, 2014, the MDEA charged Tingley with a Class C violation of condition of release.
“This charge was the result of a no-contact condition with a co-defendant in the methamphetamine manufacturing case, which Tingley violated,” said Arno.
While incarcerated on May 5, 2014, Tingley assaulted an Aroostook County corrections officer. As a result, he was charged with Class C assault on a law enforcement officer.
Arno said in addition to serving a 14-year prison sentence, Tingley was ordered to serve four years of probation following his release, pay restitution to the MDEA in the amount of $4,057 related to the methamphetamine cleanup/disposal costs and pay a $400 fine.
This investigation was the result of a multi-agency effort by the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office, the Maine Warden Service, the Maine State Police, the Caribou Police Department, the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office and the MDEA. “It is an excellent example of why multi-agency cooperation is important in bringing these types of investigations to a successful completion. MDEA stands committed to working with all of our law enforcement partners towards this end,” said Arno.
