Concord Man Sentenced for Possessing Methamphetamine and Fentanyl

CONCORD – A Concord man was sentenced today in federal court for possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

Ethan Lea, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Landya B. McCafferty to 72 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. On April 14, 2022, Lea pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.

“Law enforcement will hold those that poison our communities with dangerous narcotics accountable,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack said. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to reduce the supply of fentanyl and methamphetamine in New Hampshire by incarcerating prolific drug dealers.”

“Today’s sentence is a win for the FBI, our law enforcement partners, and the people of New Hampshire as we work together to remove dangerous drugs and criminals off the street,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.

After a motor vehicle stop on June 13, 2021, law enforcement seized approximately 245 grams of methamphetamine and 71 grams of fentanyl from Lea’s car.  On July 30, 2021, Lea was caught again with large quantities of drugs and evidence of drug dealing in his car, including 448 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales, and over $2,000 in cash. He later admitted to law enforcement that the drugs recovered from the car stops belonged to him, and that he intended to distribute them.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande prosecuted the case.

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