AUGUSTA, Maine — A 28-year-old New York man is being held at the Kennebec County Jail after police say they seized a large amount of drugs heading to the midcoast area.
Rafael Brito of the Bronx was arrested at about 9 p.m. Tuesday by Maine Drug Enforcement Agency agents and Maine State Police troopers as he was getting off a Greyhound bus in Augusta that had come from New York City, according to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Brito was found with 270 30-milligram oxycodone pills as well as $3,900 in cash that is suspected of being the proceeds of drug sales, according to the MDEA. The estimated value of the drugs seized is $12,000.
For the past two months, agents from the MDEA’s Mid-Coast District Task Forces conducted an investigation into the illegal distribution of oxycodone by Brito throughout Knox County. The investigation revealed Brito traveled to Maine from New York City on a weekly basis with large amounts of the drugs, according to the MDEA.
Brito had a number of local people selling the oxycodone throughout Knox County, according to the MDEA. Brito would allegedly deliver the drugs to these people and collect his money from previous deliveries, typically staying in hotels for several days before returning to New York.
He is being held in lieu of $15,000 cash bail.
Brito has three prior convictions for drug trafficking in New York and Maine, according to the MDEA.
Assisting in the investigation were officers from the Rockland Police Department and Knox County Sheriff’s Office.