Franklin Dealer Gets 8 Years for Meth, Fentanyl & Firearms

CONCORD, NH – Jake Laurence Mason, 28, of Franklin, is headed to federal prison for nearly a decade after a raid on his property uncovered a disturbing cache of drugs and weaponry. Mason was sentenced Monday to 96 months – eight years – for drug trafficking and possessing firearms in furtherance of that trade, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced.

The investigation, spearheaded by Franklin police beginning in March 2020, zeroed in on Mason’s suspected drug distribution activities. The break came August 7, 2020, when officers executed a search warrant at Mason’s residence. They didn’t have to look hard. Drugs were immediately visible on a table in plain sight as Mason was apprehended.

But the initial discovery was just the tip of the iceberg. A search of the property revealed a loaded handgun stuffed within the couch cushions, practically within Mason’s reach. A backpack yielded the tools of the trade: items used for drug distribution, a cell phone, a ledger documenting transactions, $1,200 in cash, and drugs packaged for sale. The real armory was hidden in a locked closet, where officers found a shotgun, a handgun, and a fully automatic AK-47 rifle, along with a substantial amount of ammunition. Safes within the closet held more drug paraphernalia, another $1,600 in cash, and further stashes of illegal substances.

The quantity of drugs seized was significant: over 49 grams of methamphetamine and over 65 grams of fentanyl – enough to inflict devastating harm on the community. “Armed drug traffickers like Mr. Mason present a significant risk to the community,” Farley stated. “While distributing drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl endangers the community, that danger is even greater when drug dealers possess multiple firearms. In order to protect the citizens of the Granite State, we will continue to seek substantial prison sentences for the armed drug dealers who threaten public safety in our local communities.”

DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle echoed the sentiment, stating, “DEA and our state and local counterparts will do everything in our power to bring to justice those who distribute methamphetamine… Today’s sentence not only holds Mr. Mason accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning that DEA and its local and state partners will work diligently to keep this highly addictive drug off the streets of New Hampshire.”

The investigation was a collaborative effort, involving the Franklin Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, Merrimack County Sheriff’s Department, Andover Police Department, Tilton Police Department, and Northfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joachim H. Barth prosecuted the case. Mason’s sentence sends a clear message: bringing firearms and poison into the streets of New Hampshire will be met with the full force of the law.

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