Maine DEA agents discover $200,000 in cocaine disguised as store-bought sheet cake

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The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) this week discovered about 4 pounds of cocaine disguised as a sheet cake with a known New York City-based drug dealer.

The Maine DEA on Tuesday arrested John Cedeno, otherwise known as “Papers,” of New York and Chelsy Cochran of Winslow, Maine, after agents caught them traveling with a “significant amount of cocaine” that the suspects were allegedly preparing to distribute throughout Kennebec and Somerset counties, the agency said in a Facebook post.

Agents had previously opened an investigation into Cedeno, 25, based on anonymous tips accusing the New York City man of distributing “considerable amounts of cocaine within the Central Maine area.”

Cocaine disguised as sheet cake (Credit: Maine DEA Facebook page)
(Maine DEA Facebook page)

The Maine DEA had previously charged Cedeno in 2015 with aggravated drug trafficking after authorities found him with 38 grams of heroin, a handgun and “several thousand dollars.” He was convicted in 2016 and sentenced to four years in prison.

Cochran, 33, was allegedly driving Cedeno in her Audi before police stopped both suspects on I-295 and conducted a search. Authorities then discovered the 4 pounds of cocaine disguised as a cake that the Maine DEA said had a street value of about $200,000, as well as $1,900 cash.

Authorities charged Cedeno and Cochran with aggravated trafficking of a schedule W drug on $750,000 bail for Cedeno and $50,000 bail for Cochran.

The agency is asking anyone with information about the illegal trafficking of drugs to contact a Maine DEA office, text MDEA to TIP411 (847411) or call the MDEA tip-line at 1-800-452-6457.

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