Jose Nunez, 61, of Manchester, is headed to federal prison for eight years after being sentenced on charges tied to a sprawling oxycodone distribution ring that stretched from New York to New Hampshire. Nunez admitted to participating in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, laundering drug money, and possessing a firearm during drug trafficking—a criminal enterprise that fed addiction and violence in Manchester’s streets.
Court records reveal Nunez was deeply embedded in a network that imported oxycodone pills from New York, using cash-laden trips to fund the operation. In 2013 and 2014, law enforcement dismantled the ring through wiretaps and controlled buys. One intercepted transaction led to Nunez being stopped in Massachusetts with $18,900 in cash—cash meant to pay Manuel Tirado, the group’s New York supplier. The bust exposed a pipeline that kept Manchester flooded with prescription narcotics.
On August 27, 2014, the operation imploded. Raul Hernandez was arrested while attempting to deliver over 600 oxycodone pills to the Eastern Avenue residence of Samuel Garcia and Jennifer Nunez. A raid on the home uncovered hundreds more pills, $30,000 in cash, and three firearms. Garcia, Jennifer Nunez, and Johanna Nunez were all taken into custody. Nunez himself evaded capture until October 2014, when he returned from the Dominican Republic and was arrested.
Nunez pleaded guilty on March 6, 2015, to four major charges: conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, four counts of actual distribution, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. He will serve eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The sentence reflects the federal crackdown on pill mills and their enablers.
Others in the conspiracy have also faced justice. Johanna Nunez, 30, was sentenced to 51 months in prison. Raul Hernandez, 29, got 48 months. Samuel Garcia, 36, and Jennifer Nunez, 26, both pleaded guilty and await sentencing on identical charges, including firearm possession. All admitted to their roles in pushing oxycodone through Manchester’s underground markets.
One man remains on the run. Edward Anthony Hiciano Beltre is now a fugitive, wanted for his role in the conspiracy. Meanwhile, the supplier, Manuel Tirado, has pleaded guilty and is cooperating. The case, prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Concord, underscores the federal reach into local drug networks—and the long prison terms awaiting those who profit from addiction.
RELATED: MS-13 Killer Flaco Gets Life for Beltsville Murder
Related Federal Cases
- Live Nation Faces Trial Over Monopoly Practices · Washington
- Phan and Tran Sentenced in $330,000 Cell Phone Fraud Scheme · New Hampshire
- Rhode Island Dealer Gets 6 Years for Selling Oxycodone · Massachusetts
- Maine Man Gets Life Sentence for Meth Trafficking Conspiracy · Massachusetts
- Yonkers Man Pleads Guilty to $810k Tax Refund Scheme · Massachusetts
Key Facts
- State: New Hampshire
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News