SPRINGVALE — A spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Friday said the search for Joshua Patrick Weldon, whom authorities consider armed and dangerous, is continuing and that they’re following up on tips from the public.

Weldon, 26, remained at large on Friday afternoon, but that status could change at any time as law enforcement continues their search for him.

“Our search for Joshua Patrick Weldon is very active,” said Kristen M. Setera of the FBI’s Public Affairs office in Boston, Massachusetts. “He is considered armed and dangerous and we ask the public for their continued vigilance.”

The FBI put out the word on Wednesday that they were looking for Weldon, who had been arrested and charged in August with the federal crime of conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl.

FBI agents are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to his arrest.

They caution people not to approach him.

“We’ve received dozens of tips which investigators are busy running to ground, and we thank the public for its assistance,” said Setera in an email.

Weldon had been in federal custody and was released by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine on Oct. 23 on $10,000 unsecured bond, with the provision he reside at a sober house and be subject to pretrial supervision.

The FBI said Weldon failed to live up to the terms of his release when he failed to show up at a sober house on Oct. 24 and to an appointment at the U.S. Probation Office on Oct. 25. A warrant was issued for his arrest.

If convicted on the drug charge, Weldon faces between five and 40 years in prison for the Class B felony. He will be subject to a further sentence for violating the terms of his release.

While circumstances of his initial  arrest are unclear, three other people are linked to the case and were also charged, according to documents on file at the federal court.

Authorities came close to apprehending Weldon on Nov. 6, when Sanford Police attempted to stop a vehicle he was in, but Weldon allegedly got out and ran away. While a police dog team was tracking the wanted man, the FBI said he was able to obtain a ride to a Springvale apartment where he allegedly smashed the glass of the front door after being refused entry.

Weldon has short black hair, brown eyes and ear gauges. When he was last seen by authorities, he had a short brown beard. He’s about 5 feet 10 inches tall, and weighs around 255 pounds. His last known address was on Main Street in Springvale, said the FBI in a statement. State criminal records show he once lived in Shapleigh.

The FBI said Weldon has at least a dozen tattoos including the word ‘hope,’ on his right-hand fingers; the word ‘less,’ on his left-hand fingers; skulls on the backs of both his hands; a sleeve of miscellaneous tattoos on his right arm; a tattoo on his chest of a monk’s face with a demon; and the phrases ‘L’amore Mia,’ and ‘Dolce Vita’ on his neck.

Anyone with information regarding his current whereabouts should call the FBI Boston Division at 857-386-2000. Tips can also be electronically submitted at tips.fbi.gov.

Weldon’s criminal history includes a conviction in York County Superior Court in Alfred in 2014 on Class B felony theft and burglary charges, for which he was sentenced to three years in prison, with all but 60 days suspended, along with two years probation. He was ordered to pay $750 restitution in that case.

State criminal records show Weldon was sentenced to 10 days in jail on a misdemeanor theft conviction in 2013. He was sentenced to 24 hours in jail in 2011 for misdemeanor violating conditions of release and a 48 hour sentence for a conviction on the same crime in 2014. Weldon was found guilty of misdemeanor theft and burglary charges in May 2014, but the sentence on those convictions was not available, according to the State Bureau of Investigation.

The investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force, Sanford Police Department, and the York County Sheriff’s Office.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 780-9016 or twells@journaltribune.com.