MACHIAS – A former Alexander man who used cocaine while on probation for a 1994 car crash that killed a friend and the man’s three young children was sent back to prison Tuesday.

Superior Court Justice Nancy Mills revoked the probation of Ellis “Jamie” MacArthur Jr., 31, and ordered him to serve the remaining six years of his 15-year sentence for manslaughter.

Mills told MacArthur that it was “beyond tragic” that he was back in court on charges of using cocaine, given the facts of the 1994 case.

It that case, then-Justice Susan Calkins found that MacArthur was under the influence of marijuana and driving recklessly when his car crossed into an oncoming lane on U.S. Route 1 in Baring and struck a Volkswagen Beetle driven by Ronald Armstrong.

Armstrong, a friend of MacArthur’s, and his three young children died in the accident, which took place as they headed to Calais to buy Halloween costumes.

MacArthur was convicted of four counts of manslaughter and sentenced to 15 years in prison, with all but nine years suspended and six years’ probation. With time off for good behavior under previous Maine law, MacArthur served a little more than five years and was released in January 2001.

In August and September of this year, MacArthur tested positive for cocaine in two tests conducted by his probation officer. During his initial sentencing hearing on Oct. 3, his attorney, Jeffrey Toothaker, said MacArthur’s use of the drug was directly related to the approach of the Oct. 30 anniversary of the crash.

Toothaker recapped that argument on Tuesday, saying that since his release two years ago, MacArthur has been “working, working, working,” not only to support his wife and two stepchildren, but his parents.

“His downfall is substance abuse,” said Toothaker, recommending that MacArthur be sentenced to time served and that a condition of his probation be substance abuse counseling and counseling in grief and loss.

“He’s 31,” Toothaker said. “He’s not the 23-year-old yahoo he was when he did this.”

But Assistant District Attorney Paul Cavanaugh said MacArthur was engaged in substance abuse treatment in the first year following his release.

“A person who began probation because of the use of marijuana and alcohol has now progressed to cocaine,” Cavanaugh said. “Is this the progress we want to see?”

Cavanaugh said that given Maine’s new “good time” provisions, MacArthur would serve approximately 31/2 years if sentenced to his remaining six years. Anything less than that would be too short for him to participate in the drug treatment program offered by the state Department of Corrections, Cavanaugh said.

Justice Mills said she has always considered probation to constitute a chance and that it is a tragedy that MacArthur was back in court on the same charges that resulted in the deaths of four people.

“That conveys to me that you just don’t get it, that this is about substance abuse,” Mills said. “Probation is terminated and the underlying sentence is imposed.”