A 44-year-old Auburn man faces felony charges after police say he led them on a lengthy high-speed chase with a large quantity of drugs Monday night.
Sagadahoc County deputies say Lawz Lepenn drove away from a traffic stop for speeding on I-295 in Bowdoinham and reached speeds of 120 miles-per-hour.
(Lawz R. Lepenn – Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office)
They say he was finally disabled by spike strips on I-95. The deputy chasing Lepenn had to stop his chase after also hitting the spike strip.
They say Lepenn ran into the woods after his vehicle stopped and police used a drone to track down and arrest him near the Augusta State Airport,
Deputies say Lepenn had tossed a sports bag onto the highway when he ran from his vehicle. They say when police searched the bag, they found over three pounds of what preliminary testing showed to be cocaine hydrochloride.
Lepenn was charged with aggravated trafficking of scheduled drugs and eluding a police officer.
He was taken to Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset, where he was being held without bail on a probation violation.
Lepenn is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday.
Sagadahoc County deputies say they were assisted by the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, Augusta Police Department, and the Maine State Police in the incident.
