Michael Baez, 40, of Pelham, New Hampshire, is headed to federal prison for 24 months after admitting to multiple sales of cocaine across the southern part of the state. The sentence, handed down in federal court in Concord, marks the end of a two-year investigation into Baez’s drug operation, which fed into the broader opioid and stimulant crisis gripping New England communities.
Court records show Baez sold more than 420 grams of cocaine to a cooperating individual in a series of transactions throughout 2019. One deal went down in a Nashua parking lot under the cover of night. Others occurred at his residence in Pelham, where he allegedly stored and distributed the drug with increasing frequency. Federal prosecutors tied each transaction to recorded conversations, surveillance footage, and physical evidence collected during the probe.
Baez pled guilty on May 11, 2020, waiving trial and accepting responsibility for the charges. His admission came after law enforcement agencies built airtight evidence through wiretaps, controlled buys, and forensic analysis. With the weight of the drugs surpassing key federal thresholds, the sentence carried a mandatory minimum, sealing his two-year fate behind bars.
“Drug dealers who choose to do business in New Hampshire should understand that they will be identified, arrested and prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Scott W. Murray. “Federal prison sentences await those who persist in peddling illegal drugs.” The warning underscores the DOJ’s aggressive stance on narcotics trafficking, even in smaller-scale distribution cases.
The FBI’s Boston Division led the investigation, leveraging a multi-agency task force that included the New Hampshire State Police, Nashua Police Department, Manchester Police Department, Dover Police Department, and Portsmouth Police Department. “When law enforcement agencies partner together in a task force environment, as in this case, we can leverage all of our resources in removing illegal narcotics, and the criminals like Michael Baez who deal them, from the streets,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, FBI Special Agent in Charge.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski prosecuted the case, pushing for accountability in a region where synthetic and stimulant drugs continue to fuel violent crime and overdose deaths. Baez will serve his sentence in a federal correctional facility, followed by supervised release. The conviction stands as another data point in New Hampshire’s ongoing battle against illicit drug networks operating under the radar.
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Key Facts
- State: New Hampshire
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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