Thirteen Individuals Indicted in Cross-State Drug Trafficking Conspiracy that Used Social Media Apps to Facilitate Drug Distribution and Guns for Drugs

CONCORD - An indictment has been unsealed charging thirteen defendants in connection with a cross-border drug trafficking conspiracy that used social media messaging apps to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, and traded firearms for drugs, U.S Attorney Jane Young announces.

According to court documents, over the course of two days last week, law enforcement officers arrested six of these defendants in New Hampshire and Maine on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, namely fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Four of the defendants are in state custody in Maine and New Hampshire on unrelated charges. Three defendants have yet to be arrested.

In October 2023, law enforcement received information about a drug distributor based in Lowell and Lawrence, Massachusetts, who conducted high-volume narcotics deals via cell phone text messages and a social media messaging app. During the investigation, law enforcement identified several phone numbers and two social media accounts controlled by members of the drug trafficking organization (DTO). Both social media account profiles said they lived in New Hampshire and Maine, implicitly targeting clientele and secondary sources of narcotics supply in those areas.

From November 9, 2023 to March 7, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted eight purchases of fentanyl, mostly arranged by one of the DTO's social media accounts. These purchases ranged from 97 to 496 grams of fentanyl. A DTO runner would typically conduct a hand-to-hand drug transaction within Lowell and Lawrence, Massachusetts. All parties involved understood the purchaser was based in New Hampshire and that the narcotics were intended for redistribution in New Hampshire. During the investigation, law enforcement also searched premises used by the DTO to store and package various amounts of narcotics. Law enforcement seized more than two and a half kilograms of fentanyl, 250 grams of methamphetamine, and 28 grams of cocaine during these searches.

During the investigation, agents also executed a search warrant on the social media platform servers for the historical records associated with the DTO account that was used to arrange the undercover purchases, and similarly executed a search warrant for the contents of a cell phone that was seized during the enforcement actions. An analysis of these communications indicates that members of the DTO used two different social media accounts and corresponding messaging apps, as well as traditional text messaging, to arrange drug transactions in the Lowell neighborhood where the undercover purchases occurred. These transactions occurred over the course of one year, from April 2023 to April 2024, and involved an estimated total of at least 20 kilograms of fentanyl, one kilogram of methamphetamine, and 200 grams of cocaine, the vast majority of which were sold to dealers based in New Hampshire and Maine for redistribution in their respective drug markets. In addition, six charged conspirators sought to trade firearms, including shotguns, rifles, and handguns for narcotics.

The following defendants have been indicted in connection with this drug trafficking operation:

1. Pedro Miguel Ravelo Guzman, 31, of Lowell, Massachusetts. Guzman has not yet been arrested.
2. Jacob D. King, 41, of Milton, New Hampshire. King is in federal custody.
3. Riley J. Paletta, 26, of Hudson, New Hampshire. Paletta was released on pretrial supervision.
4. Amanda E. Camera a/k/a Amanda E. Douglass, 39, of Fairfield, Maine. Camera is in Maine state custody on unrelated charges.
5. Benjamin M. Fields, 41, of Laconia, New Hampshire. Fields is in New Hampshire state custody on unrelated charges.
6. John N. Titus, 35, of Farmington, New Hampshire. Titus is in federal custody.
7. Christian F. Gerlach, 52, of Manchester, New Hampshire. Gerlach is in New Hampshire state custody on unrelated charges.
8. Moses J. Losuk, 28, of Portland, Maine. Losuk is in Maine state custody on unrelated charges.
9. Timothy E. Boston a/k/a Timothy Earl Boston II, 38, of Nashua, New Hampshire. Boston is in federal custody.
10. Robert A. Arrington, 38, of Bangor, Maine. Arrington has not yet been arrested.
11. Robert W. Whiteside Jr., 46, of Exeter, New Hampshire. Whiteside is in federal custody.
12. William L. Wheelock, 34, of Windham, Maine. Wheelock has not yet been arrested.
13. Alexander L. Wilson, 38, of Belfast, Maine. Wilson is in federal custody.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Jacob D. King, Amanda E. Camera a/k/a Amanda E. Douglass, and Benjamin M. Fields are facing mandatory minimum penalties of 5 years in imprisonment, based on their involvement in the conspiracy. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Hudson Police Department, the Bedford Police Department, the Nashua Police Department, the Manchester Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, and the Strafford County Sheriff's Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar Vega is prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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