Fugitive Arrested in Washburn

A Presque Isle man is back behind bars after failing to show up to serve his jail time on drug trafficking charges.

Deputies arrested 34-year-old Robert Van Houten of Presque Isle in Washburn on Wednesday afternoon, according to Aroostook County Sheriff Darrell Crandall,

Van Houten was convicted of aggravated trafficking cocaine and marijuana in January and was sentenced to seven years in prison with all but three years suspended. Van Houten was given a stay of execution by the court and was told to report to serve his sentence on February 8, 2015, but he chose not to show up.

He has since been considered a fugitive and was indicted by the Grand Jury for failure to report to serve a sentence, Crandall said.

Sheriff’s Deputies received a Crime Stoppers tip on Wednesday that Van Houten was in a gray Ford Ranger with another man in the Washburn area. Sheriff’s Deputies were able to locate and stopped the vehicle on the Washburn Road and took Van Houten into custody without incident.

He was transported to the Aroostook County Jail in Houlton.