KEENE, NH – A Vermont man who led a Keene, New Hampshire based crack cocaine drug trafficking organization was sentenced to nearly 6 years in prison.

Lamar Carter, 33, plead guilty in December 2023 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and was sentenced in federal court in Concord today.

“The defendant admitted to leading a drug distribution organization that sold crack cocaine in Keene. After law enforcement searched the location used as a hub of operation, seizing a firearm, he was undeterred and continued to operate his illegal drug trafficking business from various hotel rooms in the Keene area,” U.S. Attorney Jane Young said in a news release.

Carter’s organization would obtain powder cocaine from New Jersey, “cook” it to manufacture crack, and distribute it in and around Keene. The organization had several employees who would conduct hand-to-hand transactions with customers, operating out of a local resident’s home and various hotels.

“Carter led a group that brought deadly drugs into New Hampshire, exploiting addiction for his own profit. HSI is committed to working with local partners like the Keene Police Department to dismantle drug trafficking networks and make our communities safer,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security in New England.

U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliot sentenced Carter to 7- months in prison and three years of supervised release.

The investigation was led by Homeland Security with assistance from the Keene Police department.