PORTLAND, Maine — A Lebanon man was in U.S. District Court last week following his arrest last month on federal charges that he sold fentanyl last March to a York man who subsequently died of an overdose.
Lucas Heindenstrom, 25, waived a probable cause hearing slated to take place before U.S. District Court Justice John Rich on Wednesday, July 6, essentially admitting to Rich in court that the U.S. Attorney’s office has enough evidence to move forward with a case against him.
The victim in the case is not identified by name in court documents, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Guerrette said he was precluded from speaking about any facts not contained in the documents. However, the date of the incident, according to the record, was March 31. On that date, police responded to a heroin overdose death of a 29-year-old man at a Cape Neddick residence. Police also declined to name the victim at the time or now.
Heindenstrom was arrested June 13, following an investigation into the man’s death, and is charged with one count of distribution of fentanyl, a Class C felony. The maximum term of imprisonment is up to 20 years, with a fine of up to $1 million.
According to the affidavit supporting the charge against him, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent John Daly said among the items found in the victim’s bedroom was his cellphone, which was taken into evidence.
York police noticed a series of text messages between the York man and a contact identified as “Lucas H” on March 30 setting up a meeting that night. Heindenstrom provided the man his address in Lebanon, and the man said he was on his way.
“A short while later, the decedent received the following text message from ‘Lucas H’: ‘U will like it for sure it’s a good rush,’” Daly wrote in the affidavit. “After the decedent responded, ‘It taste like sit’ and ‘sugar,’ ‘Lucas H’ replied, ‘It’s not I promise wait till u try it bro its good man I swear I got u and someone else a g and they loved it I know u will like it.’ Within a minute, the decedent also received the following text message from ‘Lucas H’: ‘its gatta be the fet. U taste.’”
Daly said, based on his experience, the “fet” referred to fentanyl and the “g” referred to a gram.
On April 1, DEA investigators posing as the York man texted Heindenstrom asking to meet again. Investigators told him to meet at the Cumberland Farms store in Rochester, New Hampshire. Investigators watched as he left his residence at the same address he’d given the York man and drove to the store. There, he was taken into custody.
Heindenstrom admitted he was meeting the York man to get money to obtain heroin from a third party. He also admitted he met the man three days prior “and admitted that he obtained a gram of what he believed to be heroin for the decedent on (March 30) for $100.”
The drug taken from the York man’s residence on March 31 later tested positive for fentanyl.
Heindenstrom is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court July 18 for a bail hearing.