A Waterville man who police say was a major drug trafficker in the area was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison Friday.

Victor Soto Sanchez, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker in U.S. District Court in Bangor to 210 months, or 17-and-a-half years, in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

Victor Soto Sanchez Waterville Police Department photo

He was found guilty of possessing fentanyl and cocaine with intent to distribute, on Oct. 18, 2023, following a two-day federal jury trial, according to a news release from the Maine District of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Waterville police received information about a large-scale drug trafficker selling cocaine and fentanyl out of his College Avenue apartment, the release said. A three-week investigation culminated in police, with a search warrant, searching Sanchez’s residence, where they found about five pounds of fentanyl in pill and powder form, and almost five pounds of cocaine, as well as more than $5,000 in cash and several firearms.

Police estimate the value of the narcotics seized at more than $400,000. Waterville police, at the time, described it as the largest narcotics bust in the city’s history.

Waterville police and federal Homeland Security Investigations officials investigated the case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Maine State Police, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.