Undercover cop returning to city force
By Mark LaFlamme
Staff Writer

LEWISTON – Danny LaChance has not felt like himself the past few years. He doesn’t dress the same way. His physical appearance has changed. He finds himself in situations he never would have gotten into before.

For more than three years, the Lewiston police officer has been undercover, going after drug dealers here and in other parts of the country.

Now, his undercover tour is coming to a close. He can shave again. He can put on the duds he used to wear. And when he returns to the city’s police force, he’ll have a new rank.

When LaChance goes back to the patrol division early next year, it will be as a sergeant. He was promoted in October, well into his third year as an undercover agent.

“It’s going to be strange going back,” LaChance said. “It’s a whole different style of life. I’ve got to start shaving every day again.”

LaChance, a nine-year veteran of the police force and Lewiston’s 2003 Employee of the Year, started his duty with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency nearly four years ago. He was responsible for making undercover drug buys locally and in surrounding areas.

He later went to work for the federal drug agency in a division known as the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. The organization, known in police circles as “Hi-Dah,” consists of officers from agencies around the country. Their mission: to identify, disrupt and dismantle Colombian, Dominican and other significant drug-trafficking and money-laundering organizations.

“I loved it. I worked with great people, in this state and around the country,” LaChance said. “I learned a lot from those guys. I’ve established a lot of good contacts all over the place.”

Drug busts

As a drug agent, LaChance was involved in several high-profile raids locally and in other parts of New England.

He took part in a raid last year at a trailer on Crowley Road in Sabattus. LaChance and agents from a slew of other police organizations raided the home after receiving information there were drugs and weapons inside the trailer. Five suspects were arrested in the November 2002 operation. LaChance and other agents continued the investigation, tracking down suspects who were in the country illegally. A dozen people have been charged with drug trafficking and other crimes as a result.

In June of this year, LaChance was a key figure in a drug operation that swept through the Twin Cities, resulting in the arrests of more than two dozen people. Several others were arrested as the investigation continued.

The investigation into the operation responsible for running crack between Maine and Florida resulted in the seizure of tens of thousands of dollars and several vehicles.

The investigations were driven by agents from the local MDEA, who went undercover to buy drugs from suspects and work with confidential informants. Local drug investigators provided intelligence to federal agents who came to assist in the raids.

On local cases, LaChance also worked closely with agents from the Central Maine Violent Crime Task Force. That group assisted with raids and collected intelligence on suspects known to carry or traffic in firearms.

“They’re great to work with,” LaChance said, referring to the task force and MDEA.

‘The best job’

In September, LaChance was named Lewiston’s employee of the year for his work investigating local drug trafficking. In coming weeks, he’ll be collecting more awards from the Drug Enforcement Administration in Boston.

After that, it’s back to work on the streets of Lewiston. Someone else from the police department will take LaChance’s place with the MDEA.

“I know he’s going to be sorely missed at the drug agencies. He’s done a heck of a job over there,” said Police Chief William Welch.

“But we’re looking forward to him coming back here with the wealth of knowledge and experience he has,” Welch said. “He’ll be a great mentor and teacher to some of the other guys.”

As a sergeant, LaChance will be a patrol supervisor at the LPD. Before the start of the year, he’ll be cleaning out his various desks at the drug agencies and saying goodbye to his colleagues.

“I’m looking forward to going back to the police department as a supervisor,” LaChance said. “But it’s tough to leave. It was the best job I ever had.”

mlaflamme@sunjournal.com