Maine Man With a Criminal Past Gets 4+ Years for Drug Trafficking

An Auburn man will spend more than four years in prison for drug trafficking in Androscoggin County.

Who Was the Defendant?

According to the United States Attorney's Office, District of Maine Zachery Paradis, 41, who's also known as Pee Wee, was sentenced this week to 51 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. His guilty plea was part of a plea agreement between Paradis' attorney and prosecutors. Without that agreement, he could have faced up to 20 years in prison for each count against him.

Which Drugs Were Involved in This Case?

Paradis pleaded guilty on December 1st, 2022 to the distribution of fentanyl and distribution of crack cocaine, which is also known as cocaine base, in Androscoggin County. Those charges stemmed from an investigation that included the FBI successfully conducting a controlled buy of 10 grams of fentanyl, made by an undercover agent. The entire exchange was captured on video and audio recordings. In April 2022, agents made a second controlled buy of approximately 12.8 grams of cocaine base from Paradis.

What Are Some Details of Paradis's Criminal Past?

Known to law enforcement prior to this incident, Paradis has at least ten convictions as an adult, including two past federal convictions for firearms offenses. During the first controlled buy, officials say Paradis bragged about his involvement in multiple other crimes, including a 2021 shooting in Lewiston. According to the Sun Journal, Paradis also claimed to have strangled his girlfriend and robbed another trafficker who he said was under the influence of fentanyl.

This investigation was a collaboration between the FBI's Southern Maine Gang Task Force, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lewiston Police Department, and the Auburn Police Department.