AUGUSTA — State drug agents said a West Paris man has been charged with dealing heroin after 85 grams of it was found in his car parked at The Big Apple in Gray this week.

The heroin, estimated to be worth $17,000 on the street, was destined for Oxford Hills, agents said, where heroin use is reported to be increasing.

Dennis A. Russell, 28, was arrested Wednesday, according to Roy E. McKinney, director of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and Matthew Cashman, special agent supervisor of the MDEA’s Western District Task Force Office serving Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties.

MDEA agents, assisted by the Maine State Police and Oxford Police Department’s drug officer, arrested Russell, who was in a vehicle that was believed to be traveling from another state with the heroin.

There were others in the vehicle parked at the store on Portland Road. After agents interviewed the occupants, they discovered the heroin.

Russell was transported to the Cumberland County Jail in Portland where he is being held on $40,000 cash bail. He was expected to make an initial appearance in a Portland court Friday.

MDEA is continuing the investigation and additional arrests are expected, officials said.