PORTLAND — A Lewiston man will remain behind bars after a federal judge rejected efforts to free him Thursday, citing the “absolutely astounding amount of deadly drugs” linked to him.
Muktar Abshir “Mo” Aden, 25, was arrested Friday at his apartment at 210 Blake St. in Lewiston by federal investigators. He was later charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah Falk said Thursday in U.S. District Court that the amount of methamphetamine recovered by investigators between Aden’s apartment and a storage unit he was seen using totaled 24 pounds, “enough … to kill a herd of buffalo.”
Investigators, including those from Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, also recovered from the searches 456 grams of crack cocaine, 200 grams of fentanyl, three cellphones, two handguns (including one that was stolen) and $45,000 in cash.
Falk said Aden had been pouring water on a backpack that contained methamphetamine when agents entered his apartment while executing a search warrant.
All of the drugs that were seized had tested presumptively positive in the field, but hadn’t been lab tested nor had the purity of the drugs been determined, Falk said.
Aden has a “lengthy” criminal history dating back to when he was 10 years old, including multiple drug convictions, Falk said.
Worried about Aden’s likelihood of appearing in court if freed, Falk pointed out that Aden’s pregnant wife and child live in Kenya.
If convicted on the methamphetamine charge alone, assuming it tests as pure, Aden could be facing decades in prison.
“He really is looking at an extremely serious sentence,” Falk said.
Defense attorney Caleigh Milton said her client grew up in Maine and has “significant ties” to the community; his parents and brothers live in Maine.
Aden is a U.S. citizen and was willing to surrender his passport and wear an electronic ankle monitor, she said. His father was willing to be a third-party custodian for Aden, Milton added.
Most of Aden’s criminal history dated back to before he turned 18, she said.
He successfully completed probation without violations for his most recent criminal offense, Milton said.
But, U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Frink Wolf sided with Falk, noting the “absolutely astounding” volume of drugs recovered, calling it a safety risk to the community.
That, coupled with evidence of controlled purchases of methamphetamine by government operatives who recorded the drug transactions, amounted to what appeared to be an “extraordinarily strong” total weight of the government’s case against Aden, Wolf said.
According to court records, the Department of Homeland Security had been investigating the distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine and other drugs in Androscoggin County since February.
In recent months, they began focusing on Aden and on Oct. 3, an undercover agent arranged to purchase 224 grams of methamphetamine from him, according to court records.
Aden was arrested Oct. 11 after an undercover agent purchased $1,800 worth of methamphetamine from him in a Topsham parking lot.
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