United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty, II announced that Biniam Tsegai, 26, of Portland, pled guilty today in United States District Court before Judge Nancy Torresen to conspiring to distribute cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine.
According to court records, in 2011 and 2012, the defendant was part a drug trafficking conspiracy that acquired cocaine in Boston and distributed crack cocaine in the greater Portland area. He prepared crack cocaine for sale and distribution after it had been brought to Maine, and he took orders for and delivered user-level quantities of crack cocaine to customers.
He faces up to 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine. He will be sentenced after completion of a pre-sentence investigation report by the United States Probation Office.
