CUSHING, Maine — Two Cushing residents face drug trafficking charges after a police investigation into another man’s apparent drug overdose death.
Karl Crute Jr., 43, and Ranae Robbins, 45, were arrested for allegedly trafficking heroin, a Class B felony, according to Chief Deputy Timothy Carroll of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.
At about 6:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, the sheriff’s office went to the home of Christopher Delano, 52, of Cushing after a friend reported finding Delano deceased there. Investigators reportedly found evidence of drug activity and called the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Evidence led police to obtain a search warrant for another home in Cushing, where investigators allegedly found 5 grams of heroin, drug paraphernalia, $1,000 in cash, a semi-automatic rifle and three handguns. After the search, police arrested Crute and Robbins.
Delano’s official cause of death won’t be determined until the medical examiner’s office completes an autopsy, Carroll said.
MDEA and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office are continuing their investigation, Carroll added.
Earlier this week, before Delano’s death, Maine’s attorney general announced that 286 people had died from drug overdoses so far in 2016, already surpassing the total for all of last year.
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