KEENE, NH – A Vermont man is facing potential prison time after pleading guilty in federal court to drug charges stemming from an incident beginning at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon last spring.

According to a news release from the office of United State Attorney Jane E. Young, District of New Hampshire, Damien Rousseau, 31, of Vershire Vermont, pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to unlawful possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.

On May 11, 2022, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center security personnel determined that Rousseau was in a patient’s room while in possession of a bag that contained a small quantity of narcotics and a drug ledger. Lebanon police responded and located Rousseau’s car in the parking lot and observed methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle. A drug detecting canine also alerted to the presence of narcotics inside as well.

Rousseau was arrested and released on bail, and the next day he was found trespassing in the police department’s secure-impound lot. After finding him hidden inside of his vehicle, police arrested him once more and executed a search warrant on the vehicle. Police seized approximately 436 grams of methamphetamine, 98.66 grams of cocaine, and 10.5 grams of fentanyl, along with three loaded firearms with assorted loose ammunition, $2,179 in US currency, and 20 assorted silver and gold-colored coins.

Rousseau is facing up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. He’s scheduled for sentencing on July 24th.