Sentence tied to long, violent criminal past

Andre Hunter

PORTLAND, Maine - An Assistant U.S. Attorney who led the prosecution in the heroin and cocaine trafficking trial of a Rochester man said the nearly 20-year-sentence he received was a result of the long and disturbing record he had with law enforcement but also intended as a message that given the heavy death toll of heroin overdoses in recent years, heroin drug runners should expect to pay a heavy price if caught.

Andre Hunter, 48, formerly of Woodlin Green, was sentenced in U.S. District Court on Friday to 235 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

He pleaded guilty to the charges in December.

Daniel Perry, an Assistant U.S. Attorney, told The Lebanon Voice today that the most U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Torresen could have sentenced Hunter to was 240 months. She sentenced him to 235.

"She noted in her remarks during sentencing the rising toll of heroin overdose deaths," Perry said. "That likely figured into her sentencing, but also it was the length and nature of his record."

Hunter raped an 8-year-old girl when he was 16, Perry said, and had numerous drug charges over a long criminal history.

In 2012 Hunter was arrested in Portsmouth on prostitution and drug charges.

The most recent case was a result of Hunter's role in a heroin trafficking enterprise between April 2014 and his arrest in October. According to court records, Hunter distributed between 700 and 1,000 grams of heroin to dealers in Portland and Rochester who distributed it to customers in those areas.

On Sept. 26 Hunter was stopped while driving from Rochester to Portland because the police suspected he was delivering drugs. A search of his vehicle near the Wells exit on Interstate 95 led to the seizure of about 24 grams of heroin and 5 grams of cocaine.

A search of his Rochester residence by Strafford County Drug Task Force members resulted in the seizure of a digital scale with drug residue, drug packaging and $30,000 in cash.

Even if Hunter stays on his best behavior, he won't be eligible for parole for about 17 years, said Perry.

Before he was sentenced, Hunter apologized for his actions, Perry added.

The arrest was a combined effort of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine State Police and the Strafford County Drug Task Force.