FARMINGTON — A local man pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to commit drug trafficking as part of a plea agreement.

David J. Engler, 33, of Farmington was accused last year of selling Suboxone from July 1 to Aug. 28, 2015, from a residence on Silver Maple Lane and the parking lot of Maine Department of Health and Human Services near Hippach Park, both in Farmington.

The charge of felony aggravated trafficking in schedule drugs was dismissed.

According to Assistant Attorney General David Fisher, witnesses were prepared to testify, if the case went to trial, that Farmington police began a separate drug investigation in 2015 of Krista Brown, 29, Engler’s significant other at the time.

Police officer Michael Lyman would have testified he examined Brown’s phone and found texts related to drug activity.

Police set up surveillance at Silver Maple Lane and saw people coming and staying for short periods of time, or Brown coming out to meet people in a vehicle. Police conducted a search and did find indications that Suboxone was being sold, according to state’s evidence. Brown was interviewed and she admitted they were selling Suboxone, Fisher said.

During interviews, Brown had a hard time remembering times and dates. Engler never confessed, Fisher said. Brown recanted some of her story and admitted to police that she was the only one who was selling the drug, he said.

Brown, now of Portland, pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit trafficking last year. She was sentenced to three years with all but 60 days suspended, followed by two years of probation.

The state had planned to use Brown’s testimony against Engler.

Engler is on probation for illegal possession of a firearm on April 30, 2015. He was found guilty and sentenced to one year with all but seven days suspended, according to court records.

Engler also had a prior drug conviction in 2008 in Massachusetts, Fisher told the court.

Justice Robert Mullen accepted the plea agreement, and sentenced Engler to three years to the Department of Corrections, all suspended, followed by two years of probation.

It is a compromise, Fisher told the court.

Engler’s probation conditions include no possession or use of illegal drugs and random search and testing for drugs.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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