PORTLAND — A federal judge on Tuesday freed a Lewiston man who was arrested last week after allegedly violating conditions of his supervised release stemming from a gun conviction.
Sabree Lamar Branch Submitted photo
Sabree L. Branch, 32, was sentenced to prison for 26 months in 2020 on an illegal gun possession charge after pleading guilty. When he was released, he was placed on supervised release for three years.
Branch had been living in a mobile home in Sabattus with his girlfriend and their children when he was arrested Feb. 7.
A U.S. probation officer testified Tuesday that Branch had violated conditions of his release, including driving without a license, using marijuana (for which he had a Maine medical marijuana card) and testing positive for cocaine and possession of suboxone (for which he’d had a prescription.)
Police had found crack cocaine in the back seat of a car Branch had been driving. His passenger, Ronnie Clark, had claimed ownership of that drug.
Police also searched the Sabattus home, where they found crack cocaine in Branch’s bedroom.
Clark took the witness stand Tuesday and testified that the drugs found at the home were his. In fact, he’d left a voice message for Branch’s probation officer, claiming responsibility for the presence of the drug at Branch’s home.
After assuring Magistrate Judge Karen Frink Wolf that he understood he could refuse to answer questions that might be incriminating and that he had the right to be represented by an attorney, Clark testified that he’d been staying at the mobile home to do some work on the home and property, and that Branch and his girlfriend had been staying at a family member’s home.
He said he stashed the drugs in the first room he came to after waking up from the couch in the living room to the sounds of drug agents.
Wolf said there was probable cause to support the alleged violations of supervised release, but she believed that Branch posed no threat to the public if released.
His attorney, Michael Whipple, said Branch had been working full time and overtime at a drugstore, where he was recommended for a promotion. His young son has been living with him and attending local schools.
Wolf said Branch must abide by a 9:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew, not drive a vehicle without a license, wear an electronic GPS monitor and have no contact with Clark nor anyone with a criminal background.
Branch was arrested Jan. 26 on a charge of trafficking and held in state custody before he was released from state court on $500 bail. He was later taken into federal custody for allegedly violating his supervised release.
He had been held at Strafford County Jail in New Hampshire until Wednesday, when he was freed on $10,000 unsecured bail.
Branch was arrested Sept. 4, 2018, after local police and federal agents executed a search warrant at Branch’s Lewiston apartment, seeking evidence including firearms, ammunition, bullets, casings and other related items.
After officers knocked on his door and announced themselves, they watched him run back to his bedroom. They forced their way in and found him in his bedroom.
In the bedroom, they recovered an 8-ounce baggie of crack cocaine on a TV stand and a Smith and Wesson .380-caliber handgun in the drawer of a dresser.
His DNA was found on the gun, which had been reported stolen.
On Oct. 29, 2015, Branch was convicted of one count of use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, which prohibited him from having any firearms.
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