PORTLAND — An Auburn man out on bail for allegedly mailing $3 million worth of fentanyl to himself in 2023 at an Auburn restaurant denied Wednesday in federal court that he was trafficking in methamphetamine in February.
Jeremy Mercier Androscoggin County Jail photo
Jeremy Mercier, 51, pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court to two counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Each of the felony crimes is punishable by 10 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $8 million, plus eight years to a lifetime of supervised release after serving any prison sentence.
The penalties were enhanced because of a 2007 felony drug conviction.
Mercier is being held in federal custody at Strafford County Jail in Dover, New Hampshire, until his trial, which is scheduled for May 6.
He appeared in court Wednesday, handcuffed, wearing a jail suit and flanked by U.S. marshals.
Mercier was indicted on the charges by a federal grand jury last month.
The charges stem from a Feb. 4 purchase of three ounces of methamphetamine by a confidential source from Mercier at his Auburn home. He was arrested on Feb. 15.
Mercier had been free on $115,000 cash bail pending trial on the fentanyl-related charges of aggravated importation of drugs and two counts of aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs, each of those charges punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
He was arrested April 28, 2023, after a crate that contained more than 30 pounds of fentanyl turned up at Mac’s Grill on Minot Avenue in Auburn with Mercier’s name on the shipping envelope, according to police.
Mercier appeared at the restaurant looking for the package, a county prosecutor said.
The package had been reportedly mailed to Mercier from Arizona.
Mercier owns and runs a local motorcycle repair shop.
The shipping container had been made to look like it contained motorcycle parts, police said.
Police said when employees opened the crate at the restaurant, they found a plastic tote inside that contained the drugs.
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