PORTLAND, Maine — Four more men have pleaded guilty to being part of a cocaine distribution ring that stretched from the Lincoln-Lee area to Florida and Costa Rica.
Robert Donath, 28, Mark “Goober” Russell, 41, both of Lincoln and Jeffrey Edwards, aka Bow Neck, 42, of Bradenton and Islamorada, Fla., pleaded guilty earlier this month in U.S. District Court in Portland to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance.
A fourth man, Peter Glidden, 31, of Smithfield, pleaded guilty in January in federal court in Portland to the same charge.
Lisa Delaurentis, aka Lisa Fitzpatrick and Lisa Nylund, 43, of Jupiter, Fla., is scheduled on March 31 to plead guilty to the same charge in the same courtroom.
By the end of March, 10 of the 18 people indicted in the drug distribution ring will have pleaded guilty. Seven are scheduled to go on trial before U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby on April 7 in Bangor.
One defendant, whose name has not been made public, has not been arrested and remains at large.
All four men admitted to distributing cocaine that they obtained through Michael Mayer, 55, of Jupiter, Fla., and Costa Rica between Jan. 1, 2002, and June 1, 2005.
Delaurentis is expected to admit to being part of the conspiracy during that time period.
Mayer has pleaded not guilty to drug charges.
In pleading guilty, Donath and Glidden also admitted that they continued to distribute cocaine in the Lincoln-Lee area for other suppliers — Laurence “Larry” Provost, 61, of Woonsocket, R.I., between June 1, 2005, and Nov. 1, 2005, and from two unnamed Hispanic men in Lawrence, Mass., between Nov. 1, 2005 and May 1, 2006.
All five face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison along with a potential fine of up to $4 million. In plea agreements with prosecutors, all but Russell have agreed not to appeal their sentences to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal in Boston if they don’t exceed 10 years. Russell agreed not to appeal his sentence as long as it does not exceed 11 years and three months.
In addition, they will be ordered to forfeit the proceeds from their drug sales. The courts estimated that amount would be $284,000 for Donath and $270,00 for Edwards. Forfeiture figures for Delaurentis and Russell had not been filed as of Friday.
Others who have pleaded guilty in the case are:
— Jeff Polk, 36, of Lincoln and Anchorage, Alaska.
— Raymond Davis, 48, of Lincoln and Jupiter, Fla.,
— Donald “Donny” Russell, 50, of Lincoln.
— Preston Chubbuck, 43, of Springfield.
All of the defendants who have pleaded guilty are being held without bail pending their sentencings, which are not expected to be held until after a trial.
In addition to Mayer, the following defendants are expected to be tried in April:
— Daniel “Danny” Littlefield, 49, of Lee.
— Troy Littlefield, 42, of Oakfield.
— Nancy Squeglia, 51, of East Millinocket.
— Brent “Cowboy” Noyes, 57, of Lincoln.
— Richard “Rat” Russell, 48, of Lincoln.
— Jeffrey Whitehead, 54, of Enfield.
The Russells are brothers but the Littlefields are not related, according to prosecutors.
Mark Russell and Whitehead are serving sentences on unrelated charges out of state.