Police seize crack, suspect EBT card in drug bust

Tommy Lord

Todd Blanchette

SANFORD – Two Sanford man have been arrested and charged with distributing heroin and crack cocaine throughout Sanford and York County.

Tommy Lord, 32, and Todd Blanchette, 47, were both charged with aggravated trafficking in Schedule W Drugs: heroin and crack cocaine.

Over the past three months, agents from the MDEA York District Task Force have been conducting an investigation into the increased presence of heroin in Sanford. As a result, investigators determined that Tommy Lord was making frequent trips out of state and returning with significant amounts of heroin and other drugs for resale.

Last Friday, MDEA Agents learned that Lord was traveling out of state on one of those trips and that evening, a vehicle occupied by him was pulled over on Rt. 109 in Wells.

A search of the vehicle and the two occupants - Lord and Blanchette - resulted in the seizure of 88 grams of crack, 18 grams of heroin and 96 dosage units of 30 mg Oxycodone.  Also seized from Lord was a Maine EBT card with the PIN number written on the back. The card was not issued in Lord’s name and investigators are attempting to determine how it came into his possession.

An array of heroin, crack, pills as well as an EBT card seized by MDEA agents in the arrests of two Sanford men. (Courtesy photos)

 The combined street value of seized drugs was $14,500, according to MDEA.  

As part of this investigation, search warrants were also issued for two homes in Sanford, which investigators learned were connected to this case. During those searches, agents seized a variety of prescription drugs and other evidence of drug trafficking. Both Lord and Blanchette were transported to the York County Jail where bail was set at $50,000 each. Both remain in jail awaiting an initial court appearance.

Assisting MDEA in this investigation were officers from the Sanford and Wells Police Departments, the U.S. DEA, and Maine State Police.