DIXFIELD – The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency has announced the arrests of 10 individuals today, following last week’s indictments handed down by the Oxford County Grand Jury. The indictments relate to an alleged heroin and cocaine ring operating out of the Dixfield area.
One of the communities allegedly impacted by the drug sales was Jay. Two of the people indicted by the grand jury were Jay residents.
The arrests of most of the 10 indicted individuals were carried out Wednesday, according to Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Stephen McCausland; two of the individuals were issued summonses. The following people have been indicted:
Angelo Ismael Cabrera, 21 of Lawrence, Mass., on counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated trafficking in heroin and of a cocaine base, and counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated importation of heroin and of a cocaine base. All four counts are Class B felonies.
Angel Ariel Cabrera, 25 of Mexico, on counts of aggravated trafficking in heroin and of a cocaine base, both Class A felonies; as well as counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated trafficking in heroin and of a cocaine base, and counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated importation of heroin and of a cocaine base. All four counts are Class B felonies. Angel Cabrera was also indicted for misdemeanor violating the conditions of release.
Kelvin “Jason” Caceras, 25 of Lawrence, Mass., on counts of aggravated trafficking in heroin and of a cocaine base, both Class A felonies; as well as counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated trafficking in heroin and of a cocaine base, and counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated importation of heroin and of a cocaine base. All four counts are Class B felonies.
Jeffrey D. Waite, 55 of Dixfield, on counts of aggravated trafficking in heroin and of a cocaine base, both Class A felonies; as well as counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated trafficking in heroin and of a cocaine base, and counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated importation of heroin and of a cocaine base. All four counts are Class B felonies.
Matthew D. Duka, 25 of Hanover, on one count of unlawful trafficking in heroin/Fentanyl, as well as counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated trafficking in heroin and of a cocaine base, and counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated importation of heroin and of a cocaine base. All five counts are Class B felonies.
Joshua L. Tozier, 30 of Lewiston, on counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated trafficking in heroin and of a cocaine base, and counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated importation of heroin and of a cocaine base. All four counts are Class B felonies.
Dillen K. Bronish, 25 of Jay, on counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated trafficking in heroin and of a cocaine base, and counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated importation of heroin and of a cocaine base. All four counts are Class B felonies.
Feleisha M. Burgess, 22 of Dixfield, on counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated trafficking in heroin and of a cocaine base, and counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated importation of heroin and of a cocaine base. All four counts are Class B felonies.
Steven J. Knockwood, 42 of Jay, on one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated trafficking in heroin, and counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated importation of heroin and of a cocaine base. All three counts are Class B felonies.
Courtney Rene Dyke, 23 of Peru, on counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated importation of heroin and of a cocaine base, both Class B felonies.
According to McCausland, MDEA began investigating this spring, looking into Duka, who was a substitute teacher at the Mountain Valley Middle School, for allegedly selling heroin and crack cocaine in the community. Agents have not found any evidence that drugs were sold at local schools.
MDEA, Maine State Police and Rumford Police Department utilized an undercover MDEA agent to allegedly purchase heroin/Fentanyl from Duka in Mexico. Investigators say they eventually learned that Duka was selling drugs for Angel Cabrera and Caceras out of an address on the Coolidge Road in Dixfield. That residence is reportedly owned by Waite.
The MDEA believes that approximately 50 to 80 grams of heroin and 28 grams of cocaine base were smuggled into the state weekly, before the ring was shut down earlier this year.
The drugs were allegedly supplied to the ring by Angel Cabrera’s younger brother, Angelo Cabrera. Angel Cabrera then reportedly hired local drug customers to smuggle the heroin and crack cocaine into the state from Lawrence, Mass. and sell it in Dixfield, Rumford, Mexico, Peru and Jay. Police say that Tozier, Bronish, Burgess, Knockwood and Dyke were all implicated in selling drugs; Angel Cabrera reportedly supplied them with small amounts of heroin and crack cocaine in exchange for their assistance in distributing the drugs.
Following the indictments, warrants of arrest were issued for all defendants except for Duka and Angel Cabrera, who were previously arrested in relation to the case. They were issued summonses to appear in Court.
Assisting in yesterday’s arrests were officers from Dixfield and Rumford, MSP and the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office. All defendants are expected to appear in Oxford County District Court in South Paris on Friday.
Well I wonder if the justice system is going to just slap them on the wrist and say don’t do this again, or are they going to jail for a long time. Just my thoughts.
We have an epidemic in this country. People are dying. This heroin/Fentanyl combination that these people were allegedly trafficking in is a deadly poison. We have confirmed OD deaths all over this state due to this toxic mixture. While I haven’t always been a big supporter of the Federal war on drugs this is the type of case where I fully support and applaud the efforts of law enforcement officials who have brought these people in to face justice. I don’t think the law actually goes far enough in protecting the public in cases like this. These people are allegedly peddling a poison that I’m certain can be proven to have caused ODs and death. This isn’t a simple drug trafficking felony. If guilty of the crime they are charged with as a prosecutor I’d also explain how they are complicit in the deaths of several Mainers and charge them for those crimes as well. If guilty these people need to be locked up with murders and spend the rest of their lives there. We have to send a very strong message and enact much stonger sentencing laws for this type of crime. While I’m happy that the junkies of this entire Western Maine mountain valley have now been deprived of the poison that is killing them and thier families (maybe the’yll now have a chance to clean up and get help) I’m confident there will be new wave of people coming up from Lawrence or Lowell or from wherever they allways seem to come to fill the void. They just keep coming and coming like cockroaches. What are we doing to stop this? Is there a plan in place to prevent another heroin/fetanyl drug ring from setting up shop in this mountain valley again? I don’t think so. And I’ll bet a new ring is starting up right now. It’s time to let these people know that the law is going to start treating them like the murderers they are.
build a wall!
I pray to god every day that my kids or family members do not get in to this stuff!!! I hope they keep going busting all these people.
Not sure that incarcerating these people is the answer. The justice system is a joke as is the “war on drugs,” and locking these “murderers” up doesn’t even begin to address the problem of drugs and addiction in our society. Treatment and education are much more viable solutions. Look at the data and hard facts from Portugal when they shifted resources away from criminalization and toward treatment and education.
No doubt Tozier, Bronish, Burgess, Knockwood and Dyke were all suffering from some kind of painful injury, got pain meds from a doctor, and had to turn to heroin after they became addicted to the legal drugs and couldn’t get any more. Right? That’s how it happens, at least that’s what I’ve read. These people are not criminals, they are poor victims; it’s all the fault of Big Pharma and the healthcare industry. *sarcasm alert*
Unbelievable
Whatever the reason, and regardless of addiction, which is devastating to the individuals who suffer from it, along with the families who stand helplessly by, these people at some point have to have some accountability for their actions. It is sad what the pharmaceutical companies are doing, and for those who think “just this once”.
@ myopic – Build a wall? Where, around Massachusetts or Maine?
Lazy people. Called working for a living Can’t print what they really are,,,,,,,,
These people are criminals and I hope they get punished to the full amount of the law.