Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office assists in MDEA drug arrest

NEWPORT — Maine Drug Enforcement Agents (MDEA) have arrested a Massachusetts man and seized 250 grams of heroin and cocaine destined to be sold in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties. The several month investigation, which involved the undercover purchase of heroin, centered on 38-year-old Don Twiggs of Hyde Park, Mass. who agents suspected of making regular trips to Massachusetts and then transporting significant amounts of heroin back to Maine for redistribution in the two counties. On the night of Nov. 6 agents stopped Twiggs’ vehicle at the Newport exit off I-95 with the help of Maine State Police.

A search of Twiggs’ vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 200 grams of suspected heroin, along with 50 grams of cocaine. The combined street value of the drugs seized is $55,000. The heroin seized represents about 2,000 individual dosage units of the drug. Agents also searched a home on New Jersey Street in Millinocket where Twiggs had recently been staying. Additional evidence of drug trafficking was found there.

Twiggs was arrested and transported to the Penobscot County Jail in Bangor and charged with Class A aggravated trafficking in schedule W drugs (heroin/cocaine). The offense was aggravated due to the amount of heroin that was seized. Twiggs was being held on $15,000 cash bail and expected that he will make an initial appearance in Bangor Unified Court on Nov. 8.

Also assisting drug agents in the investigation were the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office, Bangor and Millinocket Police, the Maine Warden Service and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The investigation is continuing and more arrests are possible.