BANGOR, Maine — Ten people were indicted by a federal grand jury on Thursday for their alleged involvement in dealing crack cocaine in the Bangor area. Some were also indicted on federal gun charges. All 10 are already behind bars, some in Maine and others out of state, according to Assistant Attorney General Joel Casey, the federal prosecutor.
Half of those indicted in U.S. District Court are currently or formerly from New Haven, Connecticut, and the other half are from Maine communities, including Bangor, Rockland, Rumford, Orono, Waldoboro and Windham.
Jeffrey Benton, 30, of Brooklyn, New York; Christian Turner, 43, of Orono and formerly New Haven; Willie Garvin, 22, of New Haven; Jeremy Ingersoll-Meserve, 37, of Waldoboro; Jermaine Mitchell, 43, of Orono and formerly New Haven; Torrence Benton, 27, of Windham and formerly New Haven; Jacqueline Madore, 34, of Rockland; David Chaisson, 22, of Bangor; Akeen Ocean, 22, of Bangor; and Wendell White, 48, of Rumford are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base, the official name for crack cocaine.
Benton, Turner, Garvin and Ingersoll-Meserve are also charged with conspiracy to violate federal firearms laws. White also faces a charge of maintaining a drug premises at 33 Sanford St., in Bangor, that was used “for the purpose of unlawfully distributing and using controlled substances, including cocaine base,” the indictment states.
“Beginning on a date unknown, but not later than Jan. 1, 2010, and continuing until a date unknown, but no earlier than Aug. 30, 2013, in the District of Maine and elsewhere, defendants knowingly and intentionally conspired with each other and others known and unknown to commit offenses against the United States, namely, the distribution and possession with the intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base,” the indictment reads.
Benton, also known by nicknames “Jt,” “Tallman,” or “Fresh,” appears to be the ringleader in the case, with allegations that he received 10 illegally purchased firearms that he paid for with cash or in exchange for drugs, the eight-page indictment states. The guns were purchased from Bangor-area pawn shops by people who lied about who they were purchasing them for, the indictments state.
Benton, Turner, Garvin, Mitchell and Benton were already in custody, some awaiting trial and some serving sentences in Connecticut or Maine, Casey said.
The other five were arrested Thursday, and on Thursday or Friday went before U.S. District Court Judge John Nivison at the Margaret Chase Smith Federal Building.
“They have all pleaded not guilty,” Casey said.
Because the rest are in custody, the government will need to petition to have them appear in federal court in Bangor, he said.
Chaisson, Madore, Ingersoll-Meserve, Ocean and White were taken to Penobscot County Jail after their arrests and remained behind bars Friday, according to a jail official.
Turner, Benton, Ingersoll-Meserve and Madore all have drug charges or convictions on their records, according to Bangor Daily News archives.