AUBURN – A Lewiston man was arrested on drug and weapon charges early Wednesday after a routine traffic stop led Auburn police to crack cocaine, marijuana and a handgun.

Samuel Hooker, 26, of 111 Blake St., was being held at the Androscoggin County Jail on Wednesday night on $35,000 cash bail.

Auburn police said Hooker was one of several people riding in a car that was stopped about midnight as it was being driven across the South Bridge. The exact nature of the stop was not specified, but police said it was a minor traffic violation.

Officers Michael Chaine and Scott Corey became suspicious of the vehicle occupants and called for assistance from agents from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.

According to Auburn police Lt. Scott Watkins, Hooker was arrested after he was found in possession of drugs, paraphernalia and a handgun. He was charged with aggravated trafficking in cocaine, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of marijuana and possessing drug paraphernalia. He was also charged in a pair of outstanding warrants.

Police said the street value of the crack and pot seized in the bust was estimated at $4,700.

Hooker is no stranger to the local court system. In 2003, he was one of more than two dozen people arrested on drug charges in a sweep involving the MDEA and several other local departments.

Hooker, who listed a North Carolina address when he was arrested in 2003, was charged with cocaine possession and later prosecuted in Androscoggin County Superior Court. The resolution of that case could not be obtained Wednesday night.

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