COBURN GORE – After crossing the border into the United States, a Canadian man was arrested with what U.S. Border Patrol agents say was Ecstasy, marijuana and cocaine Sunday morning.

Around 5:30 a.m. Sunday, Stephane Morin, 35, of Quebec Province drove through the U.S. border crossing at Coburn Gore without stopping for the mandatory inspection, officials said.

Several miles down Route 27 east, U.S. Border Patrol agents caught up with Morin, who said he had taken a wrong turn while traveling home to the Montreal-area after attending a hockey game in Lac Mégantic and did not realize he had illegally crossed the border.

In a search of his Chevrolet Astro van, U.S. Sr. Patrol Agent William Hardt and U.S. Patrol Agent Paul Smith found 17 full pills of Ecstasy, one broken Ecstasy pill, just over a gram of cocaine, six marijuana roaches and six Viagra tablets, said Franklin County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Stephen Charles, the arresting officer in the case.

Morin was charged by Franklin County with a Class D misdemeanor for possession of the cocaine, and three Class C felony charges including two counts of illegal importation of “Schedule W Drugs” for the cocaine and the Ecstasy, and one count of unlawful furnishing of “Schedule W Drugs” for having more than 15 pills of Ecstasy.

The misdemeanor charges carry up to 364 days in prison; and for each felony charge, Morin could be hit with up to five years behind bars. Charles also said that further charges may be filed.

Morin was booked at the Franklin County Detention Center Sunday morning, and posted $4,000 cash bail, or $1,000 for each count. He returned to Canada later that day. He is set to appear in court June 19.

A U.S. Border Patrol official said federal charges for the illegal border crossing will not be filed.


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