FARMINGTON — A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty Tuesday in Franklin County Superior Court to a reduced felony charge of conspiracy to traffic illegal drugs.

Under the plea agreement, Michael Chandler, 34, of Philadelphia, was sentenced by Justice Michaela Murphy to 239 days in jail, fined $400 fine and forfeited $7,000.

Three felony charges of aggravated trafficking were dismissed, and the conspiracy charge was reduced from a Class B to a Class C felony.

The 239 days have already been served while awaiting trial, David Fisher, assistant attorney general, said after the proceeding.

Chandler is expected to return to Pennsylvania to face a probation issue once the matter here is cleared, he said.

In January, Chandler was one of three charged in Rangeley with selling illegal drugs, including heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine.

Tyler McFarland, 32, of Gray and Jami Driscoll, 23, of Auburn were indicted in May on three felony counts of trafficking in schedule W drugs, a felony count of conspiracy to commit unlawful trafficking in drugs and a count of unclassified criminal forfeiture based on the January arrests.

Law enforcement agents searched a residence and a motor inn in Rangeley and seized about $18,200 in drugs and suspected drug money, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency Supervisor Matthew Cashman said of the charges in January.

The agency had received information that a large amount of drugs from Pennsylvania were in Rangeley, Cashman said.

Drug agents had been investigating a large crack cocaine and heroin distribution ring operating out of Rangeley for several months, according to a news release from Steve McCausland, spokesman for Maine Department of Public Safety.  

Police were also given new information in January that Chandler was delivering a shipment of cocaine and heroin, the release said.

If Chandler’s case had gone to trial, Fisher told the court the state would have produced evidence based on a search warrant for a Rangeley residence, where police found Chandler in a bedroom. He had $7,000 cash and some baggies with the corners clipped off, a common way to package for drug trafficking, Fisher said. 

No drugs were found with Chandler, Fisher said later.

The state also had evidence of phone calls and text messages between Chandler and McFarland that indicated Chandler was on his way to Rangeley and had alluded to the sale of heroin, Fisher said.

A former drug agent involved in the case is now in school in Georgia and the state was trying to protect the identity of a cooperating individual, he said. If necessary, they may have had to bring both in to testify if the case had gone to trial.

Chandler’s attorney Thomas Carey told the court that he and Chandler had worked to prepare for the trial and were confident they could succeed in a jury trial. 

It’s time to move forward with time served, Carey said of his client, who needs to address the probation issue in Pennsylvania.

Murphy gave Chandler six months after release to pay the fine.

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