LEWISTON — Six area people were sentenced to various prison terms Thursday after a wave of violence that swept through the city and the surrounding area in early 2011.

In U.S. District Court, Jason Jean, Ryan Thompson, Nicholas Malcolm, Midnight Blue, Elaine Desrosiers and Victoria Pinkham were sentenced to terms in federal prison for their roles in a home invasion and other violence that included a shooting on Marble Street.

Police say the six suspects gathered at a Lewiston apartment in January 2011 and devised a plan to invade the home in order to steal crack cocaine and heroin. Several of them then went to a nearby department store where they shoplifted clothes to wear as disguises and zip ties to use on any residents during the home invasion.

Jason Jean and Elaine Desrosiers waited at their apartment while the other two couples committed the home invasion, prosecutors said. Malcolm, Thompson, Blue and Pinkham armed themselves before forcibly entering the building in an attempt to locate and steal the crack cocaine and heroin.

Specifically, police said, Malcolm, a convicted felon, carried a KelTec, model P-11, semi-automatic, 9mm pistol, while Thompson, also a convicted felon, carried an FIE, model Little Ranger, .22 caliber revolver.

Victoria Pinkham and Midnight Blue each carried a knife. Prosecutors said the conspirators were unable to find any drugs, but stole some jewelry. As they fled from the residence to the getaway vehicle, Malcolm repeatedly fired shots toward a nearby residence in order to prevent the bystanders from obtaining the license plate of the getaway vehicle. During the shooting, two guests in the nearby residence were grazed by bullets.

Later that same evening, investigators said, Jean, Thompson, Blue and Desrosiers devised a plan to invade another Lewiston home in order to steal the prescription drug Xanax, according to prosecutors.

While Desrosiers and Blue waited in the car, Jean and Thompson armed themselves and forcibly entered the Howard Street residence in order to find and take about120 alprazolam pills.

Specifically, Jean and Thompson, who was armed with the same revolver he carried in the earlier home invasion, entered the residence, police said.

Jean tied up one of the occupants of the home with zip ties, while Thompson assaulted another occupant of the residence with the revolver in order to learn the location of the pills.

Three children, ages 6 and younger, were in a bedroom of the residence while this invasion occurred, according to prosecutors. After securing the pills, Jean and Thompson returned to Desrosiers’ waiting vehicle and fled.

Police said on Jan. 27, Jean, Desrosiers, Thompson and Blue met again and planned another home invasion of a residence in Richmond in order to obtain oxycodone and clonazepam. During the trip from Lewiston to Richmond, the conspirators stopped at a store where Jean purchased duct tape for use during the robbery, prosecutors said.

Once at the victim’s residence, Jean and Thompson armed themselves and forcibly entered the house, according to court records. Once inside, Jean and Thompson tied up the lone female resident with the duct tape and stole oxycodone and clonazepam pills by force.

After securing the pills, Jean and Thompson returned to Desrosiers’ waiting vehicle and fled.

The suspects were rounded up in the following days. Lewiston police were aided, in part, by a dropped receipt from a music store that led them to Malcolm and some of the others.

Each of the suspects was arrested and ultimately charged with federal crimes.

“They all pleaded guilty,” said Dale Armstrong, resident agent in charge of the Central Maine Violent Crime Task Force. “That’s a testament to the strength of our case.”

Jean, 36, of Lewiston, was sentenced to 294 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release. Jean pleaded guilty Dec. 21 to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base and heroin, possession with intent to distribute clonazepam, alprazolam, and oxycodone and use of a firearm in a drug trafficking conspiracy.

Thompson, 22, of Lewiston, was sentenced to 141 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Thompson pleaded guilty Dec. 16 to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base and heroin, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute clonazepam, alprazolam, and oxycodone and use of a firearm during a drug trafficking conspiracy.

Malcolm, 24, of Lewiston, was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Malcolm was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,300.16 to the victims of the home invasions. Malcolm pleaded guilty Dec. 16 to an information charging him with during a drug trafficking conspiracy.

Blue, 22, of Lewiston, was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Blue pleaded guilty Dec. 16 to charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base and heroin.

Desrosiers, 35, of Auburn, was sentenced to 19 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Desrosiers pleaded guilty Dec. 16 to charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base and heroin.

Pinkham, 22, of Lewiston, was sentenced to 12 months and a day of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Pinkham pleaded guilty Dec. 16 to a charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin.