SKOWHEGAN — A 39-year-old man was arrested this week and charged with aggravated drug trafficking following a monthlong investigation into the sale of fentanyl and crack cocaine in the area, the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday.

Nicholas Kennard Courtesy photo

Nicholas Kennard was taken into custody by sheriff’s detectives while walking Monday along Court Street in Skowhegan. A search of Kennard’s belongings turned up fentanyl, crack cocaine, a 9mm firearm and various materials used for selling and distributing illicit drugs, Sheriff Dale Lancaster said in a news release.

In addition to the charge of aggravated trafficking in drugs, Kennard is facing a charge of being a fugitive from justice. He was taken to the Somerset County Jail with bail set at $25,000 but was no longer being held as of Thursday, according to online jail records.

Kennard previously was convicted of a federal drug violation, Lancaster said. There was a federal warrant for his arrest because of what Lancaster described as a “supervised release violation.”

Online jail records indicate Kennard was no longer being held Thursday at the Somerset County Jail, and it was not immediately clear if he may have been transferred into federal custody.

Lancaster said additional charges may be forthcoming after the district attorney’s office and federal prosecutors review the case.