A Portland man was sentenced on July 29 in U.S. District Court in Portland for his involvement in a California-Maine cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Chase Kane, 30, to 12 months and one day in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Kane pleaded guilty on December 10, 2025.
According to court records, Kane and associates repeatedly received large quantities of cocaine via mail, primarily from California, and made trips to California and Mexico to meet with suppliers and co-conspirators. They then distributed the drug to customers and associates in eastern Maine. Kane and his associates possessed multiple firearms during the drug conspiracy.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime perpetrators.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine is a federal law enforcement agency that covers the entire state, prosecutes federal crimes, handles civil matters involving the government, collects owed federal debts, builds alliances with other law enforcement agencies, enhances quality of life through law enforcement efforts, and serves as chief federal law enforcement officer in Maine, according to the official website.