Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Trafficking Approximately 50 Pounds of Methamphetamine into New Hampshire

CONCORD - A Lawrence man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Concord to a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Ronny O. Ramos, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, specifically methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Samantha D. Elliot scheduled sentencing for November 25, 2024. A trial date for co-defendant Riley P. Thibodeau has been set for September 17, 2024.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Ramos conspired to traffic approximately 50 pounds of methamphetamine from Massachusetts to New Hampshire on five occasions. From March through October 2023, Ramos received five separate orders of methamphetamine from Thibodeau, via an intermediary. The payments to Thibodeau for the methamphetamine were made via the same intermediary. The amounts per order ranged from 10-12 pounds at a price of approximately $20,000 for each order. The methamphetamine was delivered to Thibodeau in New Hampshire. On October 31, 2023, law enforcement agents arrested Ramos in Methuen, Massachusetts, and seized 10 pounds of methamphetamine destined for New Hampshire.

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least 3 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. 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 U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Manchester Police Department, the Salem Police Department, and the Methuen Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar A. Vega is prosecuting the case.

###