HOULTON, Maine — A Houlton man who pleaded guilty in December to one count of felony possession of methamphetamine has been sentenced to four years in prison with all but six months suspended.
Thomas Lowery, 37, will begin serving his sentence in February, according to Aroostook County Assistant District Attorney Kurt Kafferlin. On Dec. 17, Superior Court Justice William Stokes also ordered Lowery to pay a $500 fine and serve two years probation following his release, Kafferlin said Tuesday.
Lowery was arrested in April 2014 after Houlton firefighters found debris while putting out a fire in his garage on Johnston Street that prompted them to contact local police, who in turn sought the assistance of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.
“Based upon evidence gathered during the investigation, agents had probable cause to believe that methamphetamine was being manufactured on the property,” MDEA Commander Peter Arno said in a press release issued the day after the fire.
Lowery, who was represented by Houlton attorney Robert Ward, originally was indicted for unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs, cultivation of marijuana and criminal forfeiture. He could have faced up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.