RUMFORD — The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, working with Rumford police, arrested five people on cocaine trafficking charges Thursday in what MDEA agents call a cocaine trafficking ring.

The arrests came after more than a year of investigation into cocaine sales in Rumford and Mexico, according to Maine Department of Public Safety Spokesman Stephen McCausland. The five are accused of selling $250,000 in cocaine in the Rumford-Mexico area in the last year.

Timothy Clark, 40, of 16 Angie Lane in Mexico, was charged with two counts of aggravated trafficking in cocaine in a school zone, conspiracy to traffic in cocaine and illegal importation of cocaine.

Kevin Pettegrow, 29, of 25 Hartford St. in Rumford, was charged with aggravated trafficking in cocaine in a school zone.

Kaine Adam Hodgkins, 22, of 679 Roxbury Notch Road in Roxbury, was charged with attempted trafficking in cocaine and violating conditions of release.

Uniah H. Leidy, 30, of 426 Swain Road in Rumford, was charged with aggravated trafficking in cocaine.

Dale A. Korhonen, 42, of 165 Keep Road in Jay, was charged with three counts of aggravated trafficking in cocaine in a school zone, four counts of violating conditions of release, possession of a concealed weapon, unlawful possession of cocaine, conspiracy to traffic in cocaine and tampering with a witness.

The five were indicted by the Oxford County grand jury last Friday based on an investigation by MDEA agent Tony Milligan, who was the lead agent in the case. Milligan said complaints from people in the Rumford area led the MDEA to begin investigating in January 2010.

Clark was the leader of the ring, according to Milligan. The Mexico man is accused of making several trips to Massachusetts per week to get 4-ounce packages of cocaine, which he then brought back to Rumford and Mexico and sold to local drug dealers.

Milligan said agents made “some significant seizures,” including a quarter-pound of cocaine. He said he couldn’t disclose all the individual seizures yet. Undercover agents and informants purchased cocaine from the suspects, conducted surveillance and made recorded phone calls, Milligan said.

Korhonen and Clark were arrested and charged with trafficking back in December and were indicted on additional charges last week along with Hodgkins, Leidy and Pettegrow. Milligan said the investigation was a joint operation with the Rumford Police Department.

Clark, Korhonen, Leidy and Pettegrow all face Class A trafficking charges, which are punishable by up to 40 years in prison and up to $50,000 fines.

According to McCausland, all five were arrested at their homes without resistance. The investigation is ongoing, and more arrests are expected.

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