SPRINGVALE — Joshua Patrick Weldon, of  Springvale, who was wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was taken into custody Friday afternoon in Sanford.

A spokeswoman for the FBI said the search for Weldon, whom authorities considered armed and dangerous, concluded around 3 p.m., when he was taken into custody by the federal agency, Maine State Police and Sanford Police.

“We’ve received dozens of tips over the last few days which were invaluable in bringing the investigation to a successful conclusion,” said Kristen Setera of the FBI’s Boston, Massachusetts public affairs office. “We thank the public for its assistance.”

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 offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to his arrest.

He was taken into custody outside The Depot, a convenience store on Pleasant Street in Springvale.

“I saw him get cuffed and stuffed,” said Robert Gendreau, who was nearby at the time.

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, if convicted.

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’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 violation of  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 was  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.