ELLSWORTH, Maine — A man accused of selling drugs to a person who later died from an overdose and a career burglar who once escaped from jail by smearing his naked body with butter were indicted last week in Hancock County.
Eric L. Fletcher, 37, of Harrington is accused of selling heroin to Brendon Bubar, 28, of Cherryfield before Bubar overdosed on the drug at a motel at the end of March, according to Ellsworth police. Bubar’s body was found in a room at the Colonial Inn on the morning of March 31.
Fletcher was indicted Oct. 6 on charges of manslaughter and aggravated trafficking of scheduled drugs, each of which is a Class A felony. Class A felonies in Maine are punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $50,000.
Randolph W. Garland, 51, of Ellsworth, who has an extensive criminal record, was indicted Oct. 6 on six charges including two for theft and one each for aggravated criminal mischief, burglary, criminal mischief and unauthorized use.
According to Hancock County District Attorney Matthew Foster, the charges stem from an incident this past spring when Garland allegedly stole a car from a supposed friend, wrecked it and stole her phone as well. Because of Garland’s prior record, one of the charges is a Class B felony, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $20,000, Foster said Thursday.
Garland’s criminal record dates back to 1982 and includes multiple convictions for assault, burglary, theft, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, escape and other crimes. In 2003, he was convicted for assaulting a corrections officer at Hancock County Jail. In 2011, he was sentenced to serve six years in prison for a string of burglaries at unattended camps in Hancock County.
In 1988, Garland briefly escaped from the old Hancock County Jail in Ellsworth, where the sheriff’s offices now are located. He stripped naked, smeared butter he had stockpiled from his jail meals on his body, kicked out a narrow window in his cell, threw his clothes through the opening, and then squeezed his greased body through the gap to freedom. He was tracked down by police within a few hours in downtown Ellsworth and taken back into custody.
