BANGOR, Maine — A federal judge recently sentenced a Presque Isle man to 37 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute bath salts in Aroostook County between January 2012 and September 2013.
Brian Seiders, 44, pleaded guilty in June to a drug conspiracy charge.
“It strikes me, Mr. Seiders, that you are a very unlikely drug dealer,” Woodcock told Seiders just before imposing the sentence. “You are a middle-aged man playing a young man’s game.”
Woodcock said that by his own admission Seiders had abused alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine.
“With bath salts, Mr. Seiders finally found a drug he couldn’t walk away from,” the judge said.
Seiders was part of a drug conspiracy that was described Jan. 11 by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Casey as “more of a community of bath salt users” than the more typical top-down distribution ring run by drug dealers from out-of-state.
“One week, one person might order bath salts from China, and the next week, it would fall on someone else,” the federal prosecutor said. “Mr. Seiders was one of those people.”
Another was Nathan Brewer, 34, of Caribou, who pleaded guilty to the same charge in January. His sentencing date has not been set.
Brewer and Seiders used and sold bath salts in the Presque Isle/Caribou area, according to the prosecution versions of events to which the men pleaded guilty.
Seiders was arrested on a state drug charge on Sept. 5, 2013, with bath salts, a loaded gun and more than $9,000 in cash in his possession, according to court documents. While on bail, Seiders attended an in-patient drug rehabilitation program.
“I’ve been sober and in recovery for more than 2½ years,” a sobbing Seiders told Woodcock at the sentencing. “With preventive maintenance, I can remain sober.”
Seiders said that he planned to remain sober after his release from prison so he could return to his 3-year-old son, who lives with Seiders’ mother in Aroostook County.
“I know I can’t take back what I did, but I’ll never let my son down again,” Seiders said.
In addition to prison time, U.S. District Judge John Woodcock sentenced Seiders to three years of supervised release.
He faced up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine, as does Brewer.
Seiders is scheduled to plead guilty to and be sentenced on a drug trafficking charge in Caribou Superior Court. The sentence on the state charge is expected to be served at the same time he is serving the federal sentence.
