September 21, 2024
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Princeton man pleads not guilty to drug charges

BANGOR – A Princeton man indicted in February by a federal grand jury pleaded not guilty Friday to federal drug charges.

John Gagner, 26, of Princeton was released on $5,000 unsecured bail after pleading not guilty in U.S. District Court to three counts of possession with intent to distribute OxyContin.

Bail conditions state that Gagner must surrender to authorities in Washington County where officials have an outstanding warrant for him.

Gagner was arrested on the federal warrant on Thursday.

In court documents, he was listed as a witness in the trial of Jerry McPhail, 33, of Princeton. McPhail was convicted last month on one count of the same charge after a two-day trial in U.S. District Court in Bangor.

McPhail’s co-defendant, Travis Nicholson, 32, of Princeton, pleaded guilty to drug charges in early April.

Sentencing dates for the pair, who were arrested in October in the parking lot of the Maine Department of Motor Vehicles in Calais, have not been set.

Whether Gagner’s case is connected to the case against McPhail and Nicholson could not be determined last week. Gagner’s bail conditions, however, include no contact with Nicholson.

If convicted, Gagner faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.

Correction: This article ran on page B3 in the Final edition.

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