Santo Benito Lara, Fentanyl Conspiracy, MA 2024

GRIMY NEWS ALERT: Santo Benito Lara, 46, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, has been found guilty by a federal jury for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. The conviction comes after a four-day trial revealed that Lara and an associate began selling the deadly substance to a Salem, New Hampshire, customer as early as May 2018.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) launched their investigation following tips about the illegal operation. Between May and September of 2018, Lara and his co-conspirator supplied fentanyl in Lawrence, Massachusetts, to an undercover individual. The case was part of a broader effort by law enforcement agencies in New Hampshire and Massachusetts to crack down on cross-state drug trafficking.

U.S. Attorney Scott W. Murray praised the jury’s decision, emphasizing the collaborative efforts between state and federal law enforcement in combating fentanyl distribution. ‘We will continue to work tirelessly to stop this deadly flow into the Granite State,’ Murray said.

DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle echoed these sentiments, stating that the agency’s top priority is to fight the opioid epidemic by bringing distributors like Lara to justice. ‘Let this verdict serve as a warning to those who profit from destroying lives,’ Boyle warned.

Lara will face sentencing on August 27, 2019, for his role in the conspiracy. The investigation and prosecution of the case were conducted by the DEA, with assistance from the New Hampshire State Police and the Essex County (MA) Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Dronzek and Jarad Hodes are handling the prosecution.

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