NEWBURYPORT – He was one court appearance short of a hat trick. But two in the same court on the same day is still pretty unique.
Wednesday morning, Trooper Michael Provost, who is assigned as the court officer for the Newbury Barracks, was conducting his duties as the State Police Prosecutor at Newburyport District Court. In preparation for his many cases during the day, Trooper Provost compiled the most up-to-date status for each defendant by querying all MSP matters before the court. In one case, the defendant was appearing on charges of driving without a license and marijuana possession over one pound.
Trooper Provost noticed that the defendant’s Maine driver’s license was still suspended. The court released the defendant on his own recognizance with the condition he does not drive until he is properly licensed.
After the day’s court proceedings adjourned, Trooper Provost soon observed the same defendant in the courthouse parking lot getting into the driver’s seat of a Toyota SUV with a Florida registration and driving away. Trooper Provost, who was also leaving the courthouse in his fully marked cruiser, stopped the SUV.
Trooper Provost made contact with the operator, YVES DUBOC, 43, of Biddeford, Maine, the same man who was the defendant in the day’s earlier court case for unlicensed operation and marijuana charges.
Trooper Provost placed DUBOC under arrest for operating without a license. After handcuffing the man and securing him in the rear of his cruiser, the Trooper conducted an inventory of the SUV prior to it being towed. During the inventory, Trooper Provost found, in the passenger compartment, zip lock baggies; a bong; two large vacuum sealed bags and two duffel bags filled with marijuana; five large jars of extract of THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis; and a large roll of twenty-dollar bills secured with a rubber band. In total, DUBOC was trafficking more than 70 pounds of marijuana and 20 pounds of marijuana extract.
DUBOC was transported to State Police-Newbury for booking. Then he was driven back to Newburyport District Court, where he is no stranger, for arraignment on new charges of unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and trafficking in marijuana.
