Recidivist Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 13 Years in Federal Prison

CONCORD – A former Belmont man was sentenced today in federal court for trafficking methamphetamine in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

David Sweeney, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro to 160 months in federal prison and 5 years of supervised release. On July 5, 2022, Sweeney pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office working in conjunction with our federal and state law enforcement partners is committed to investigating and prosecuting recidivist drug traffickers, like the defendant, who pose an ongoing danger to our state by flooding our communities with thousands of doses of methamphetamine,” United States Attorney Jane E. Young said. “The significant sentence imposed today will protect our citizens from Sweeney’s unabated drug trafficking.”

“DEA stands committed to keeping highly addictive drugs like methamphetamine off the streets of New Hampshire,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle.  “Today’s sentence not only holds Mr. Sweeney accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are contributing to the drug crisis in America.  This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

“David Sweeney pushed massive amounts of methamphetamine onto New Hampshire’s streets, and today’s lengthy prison sentence officially puts him out of business,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI and our partners are committed to taking down and locking up prolific drug traffickers like Sweeney – people with no regard for the incredible damage they inflict on so many lives and communities.”

According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2016, United States District Court Chief Judge Landya B. McCafferty sentenced Sweeney to 54 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release for possession with the intent to distribute heroin.  Sweeney was released from federal custody in January 2018, and placed on three years of federal supervision in New Hampshire. On December 13, 2019, while under the term of his supervised release, Sweeney sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confidential informant. As the investigation continued, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the FBI determined that Sweeney conspired with other individuals located in New Hampshire, the Caribbean and Mexico to import multiple kilograms of methamphetamine into New Hampshire for distribution.

This matter was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the New Hampshire State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Davis.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found athttps://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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