PORTLAND — A Lewiston man admitted Thursday to selling methamphetamine and suspected crack cocaine twice in that city last year.
Willie Rembert, 48, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, each charge a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.
On Nov. 2, 2022, Rembert arranged to sell a confidential source working with law enforcement crack cocaine and methamphetamine for a total of about $850, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah Falk.
FBI agents monitored the meeting between Rembert and the source, which took place at a street corner in Lewiston. Agents watched Rembert enter the source’s vehicle where the drug purchase took place.
Afterward, the source turned over to FBI agents the drugs he had purchased from Rembert, which was roughly a half-ounce of suspected cocaine base (crack cocaine) and an eighth of an ounce of suspected methamphetamine, according to Falk.
The suspected crack cocaine and methamphetamine tested positive using the TruNarc field-testing system. The methamphetamine was later analyzed by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, which confirmed the positive TruNarc result, Falk wrote in court papers.
On Nov. 7, 2022, Rembert arranged to sell the FBI’s confidential source powdered cocaine, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine for a total of about $1,750, Falk wrote. FBI agents monitored the meeting in Lewiston and watched Rembert leave the source’s vehicle after the drug sale was complete.
The source gave to FBI agents the drugs he had bought from Rembert, which included roughly one-half ounce of suspected crack cocaine, one-half ounce of suspected powder cocaine and an eighth of an ounce of suspected methamphetamine, according to Falk.
Those suspected illegal drugs all tested positive using the TruNarc field-testing system, Falk said Thursday. The methamphetamine purchased from Rembert was later analyzed at a federal drug lab, where the TruNarc result was confirmed, he said.
Falk said Thursday that the federal drug lab results for confirmation testing of the crack cocaine and cocaine sold by Rembert to the FBI confidential source had not been completed and returned to his office.
For that reason, U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Torresen amended Falk’s written recitation of facts that he would have presented at trial to clarify that the testing of the supposed crack and powder cocaine purchased in the drug transactions were “suspected” to be those illegal drugs, but their identification had not been definitively determined at the time of Rembert’s guilty pleas Thursday.
He will remain in custody until his sentencing.
Falk said his office had not entered into any plea agreement with Rembert.
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