Father, son arrested on cocaine charges

PARIS — A father and son were arrested Sunday on charges of trafficking and possessing cocaine.

Robert Sande, 60, of Streaked Mountain Road in Paris was charged with aggravated trafficking in cocaine and unlawful possession of hydrocodone. His son, 34-year-old Jesiah E. Sande of Porter Road in West Paris, was charged with possession of cocaine. Both men had made bail at the Oxford County Jail by Wednesday afternoon.

Zane Loper, a Paris Police Department officer and agent with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, said Jesiah was arrested shortly after midnight in the parking lot of Crazy 8's in Paris and found to have roughly a tenth of an ounce of cocaine.

"We believe that he was heading there intending to distribute the cocaine," Loper said.

Loper said police had been conducting an investigation into cocaine trafficking over the past month, and that the investigation is continuing. He said Jesiah's arrest led to a search warrant being issued for his father's residence.

Police found eight ounces of cocaine, $11,000 in cash, and equipment for the distribution and processing of cocaine at Robert's house. Loper said his charge was aggravated due to a prior cocaine trafficking conviction out of Massachusetts.

Several police departments, including the Oxford County Sheriff's Office, Maine State Police, and Norway, Paris and Oxford Police departments have been assisting in the investigation, Loper said.

mlangeveld@sunjournal.com