South Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute

PORTLAND, Maine: A South Portland man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute.

According to court records, in August 2023, Scarborough Police officers encountered Ethan Bubier, 41, in a parked vehicle and observed drug paraphernalia and a knife on the seat. Officers searched the vehicle and found a backpack with several containers of suspected controlled substances, including 20 individual packets of fentanyl powder, a scale, and empty plastic bags. Officers also found six additional packets of fentanyl as well as $1662 in cash. In total, investigators recovered more than 264 grams of fentanyl. A later search of Bubier’s phone revealed messages documenting what appeared to be his large purchase of narcotics days before the seizure as well as messages from potential buyers.

Bubier faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million followed by three years to life of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case with assistance from the Scarborough Police Department. The Maine Attorney General’s Office also assisted with the case.

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