Massive NH Fentanyl Deal Busted By DEA

CONCORD, NH -- A fentanyl dealer from Lawrence, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 3 years in prison this week after admitting to trying to funnel 1.2 kilograms of the drug into Southern New Hampshire. David Arias, 31, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute drugs. Three alleged co-conspirators were also arrested and are awaiting sentencing.

The group traveled to Salem and Nashua to meet a New Hampshire drug dealer to arrange for the sale of a massive amount of fentanyl, according to New Hampshire U.S. Attorney Scott Murray. The plan was to resell the drugs in the Manchester area, Murray said. Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration uncovered the alleged scheme and officers arrested the group.

"In order to curtail trafficking, we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute the drug dealers who do business here," Murray said in a statement.

DEA Agent Brian Boyle added, "Let this sentence be a warning to those traffickers who are coming from out of state to distribute this poison in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. DEA’s top priority is (combating) the opioid epidemic by working with our local, county, state and federal partners to bring to justice anyone who distributes deadly drugs."

New Hampshire is member of the Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge program, a federal initiative organized by former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions over the summer. The program targets opioid dealers in the Granite State and nine other regions across the country.

"We are going to arrest, prosecute, and convict fentanyl dealers and we are going to put them in jail," Sessions said at the time.

Added Murray, "We will use every resource at our disposal to investigate and prosecute drug dealers who sell fentanyl in New Hampshire."

Previous:

• In NH, Jeff Sessions Announces Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge
• NH Fentanyl Trafficker Gets 10 Years In Prison
• NH Fentanyl Dealer Gets 5 Years In Prison, Faces Deportation
• Nashua Fentanyl Trafficker Pleads Guilty In Undercover Bust
• NH Fentanyl Dealer With Lawrence Stash Pleads Guilty

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