PORTLAND – A podiatrist whose home and office were raided by federal drug agents in November agreed Wednesday to plead guilty to a drunken driving charge in state court.

John Perry, 49, of Cumberland is expected to enter the plea at a March 3 hearing. He likely faces a fine and suspension of his driver’s license, and will be required to report the operating-under-the-influence conviction to the state licensure board for podiatrists, which will review the case for possible disciplinary action.

Leonard Sharon, Perry’s lawyer, made a brief appearance on his client’s behalf Wednesday at Cumberland County Superior Court.

Sharon said a second state charge against Perry, possession of cocaine, has not been resolved and is on schedule for trial in May.

In addition to the two state charges, Perry is under investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Agents raided his business, Atlantic Foot & Ankle Center in Portland, on Nov. 17. Perry’s house also was searched.

Perry shut down his podiatry practice at the end of the year.

“Right now, because of the ongoing federal investigation, he has taken a leave of absence,” Sharon said. He said Perry is focused on his legal issues and will wait for the investigation to run its course before making decisions about his practice.

His doctor’s license remains active and is up for renewal at the end of June with the state Board of Licensure of Podiatric Medicine.

“There is nothing in Maine law or licensing program rules that says a conviction for a particular crime automatically triggers a particular action by a licensing program,” said Doug Dunbar, spokesman for the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. “Boards review these matters carefully, on a case-by-case basis.”

Sharon said he does not know any details about the federal investigation. Officials with the DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have declined to answer questions about the case. The DEA, while focusing largely on illegal drug distribution, also monitors volumes of legal drugs that are prescribed by health professionals and enforces laws against illegal diversion of those drugs.

Perry was arrested on the OUI charge in April of last year. On Oct. 29, he entered into a deferred disposition, meaning the charge would be reduced to a driving-to-endanger conviction if he stayed out of trouble for one year.

But on Nov. 17, state, federal and local officers stopped Perry as he was driving near his home. Police said they found a gram of cocaine inside Perry’s car, and alcohol at his home, which was prohibited under the terms of his deferred disposition. Perry was released on $1,000 bail.

Perry was in the news again two weeks later. He was among a group of men found by police at 1 a.m. Dec. 5 at the Dreamers Cabaret in Westbrook. At the time, the club was under renovation after being shut down by the city in September for code violations. Police said they found the club’s lights on and women in clothes suitable for entertainment serving coffee to a half-dozen men, with music booming and disco lights flashing. A lawyer for the club said the men were helping with the repairs.

Staff Writer Trevor Maxwell can be contacted at 791-6451 or at:

tmaxwell@pressherald.com