1 Man Charged After a Drug Bust in Hudson Finds Stolen Items

Investigators arrested a man on drug charges and recovered stolen tractors and trailers from a property in Hudson.

Where Did This Happen?

It was around 9:00 Thursday morning when members of the Penobscot County Sheriff's Office arrived at a property on Thurston Way in Hudson, as part of an active investigation. When they pulled into the driveway, the deputies noticed a man in a truck who appeared to be in medical distress, with a large amount of illegal drugs on the dash. He was removed from the vehicle and the deputies tried to provide medical treatment, but the man began fighting them. He was provided Narcan, but officials say he remained aggressive throughout the encounter. The man who was later identified as Phillip Herbest, 37, was taken to a local hospital for medical evaluation. Once he was cleared, he was taken to jail.

As deputies were dealing with Herbest, several other people fled from a nearby home. One of the people, Lois Saunders, 51, of Hudson was taken into custody once officials confirmed that there was an active warrant out for her arrest.

What Was Seized in the Search?

At this point, investigators with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency joined in the execution of a search warrant on the property. They found several stolen trailers that are related to cases being investigated by the Bangor Police Department and two zero turn tractors that had been stolen from a Bangor business.

In addition to the stolen items, a pound of dangerous drugs was seized. Those drugs included fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

Who Was Arrested?

Phillip Herbest is currently incarcerated on the following charges:

• Aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs
• Receiving stolen property
• Unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs
• Unlawful possession of scheduled drugs
• Refusing to submit to arrest
• Violating conditions of release
• Warrant arrests

This investigation is ongoing as officials work to identify other stolen items that were recovered.

We'll update this story as more details become available.