Five people, including three from northern New Hampshire, have been charged in connection with a drug trafficking network that federal police say spanned multiple states. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Mackenzie Bimpson, 28, of Berlin, is accused of leading an organization that trafficked large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs, cultivated large amounts of marijuana, and illegally acquired as many as 94 firearms. Bimpson pleaded guilty to drug charges in 2024, the DOJ said.
Four others were taken into custody Tuesday: Michael Miller, 31, of Littleton; Ernest Laplante Jr., 56, of Littleton; Steve Perez, 34, of East Haven, Connecticut; and Nilbel Ventura Amaro, 26, of Lawrence, Massachusetts. Miller allegedly served as a primary drug dealer alongside Bimpson. Laplante allegedly manufactured guns at his home and supplied them to Miller and Bimpson in exchange for drugs and money. Perez and Ventura Amaro allegedly bought drugs from the pair using cash and firearms, with Ventura Amaro described as an associate of a drug trafficking organization in Maine.
The charges include conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, carrying a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
NEK will be looking into whether Laplante held a federal firearms license and the status of Bimpson's prior guilty plea.
Originally reported by MyChamplainValley.
Photo: iStrfry, Marcus via Unsplash. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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