Maine Man Sentenced Eight Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine

CONCORD - Kittery, Maine resident Trenton Murphy, 28, was sentenced in federal court today to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine with a Massachusetts-based drug trafficking organization (DTO), U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

According to court documents and statements, investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) obtained Facebook messages between Murphy and the leader of the DTO arranging drug transactions where Murphy bought significant amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine. On one occasion, Murphy also traded a firearm with the DTO for drugs. During the course of the conspiracy, Murphy bought nearly two pounds of fentanyl and three pounds of methamphetamine from the DTO, which he would then sell to his own customer base.

"This defendant was a key part of a criminal network that distributed destructive drugs such as fentanyl and meth in our communities, wreaking havoc on so many New Hampshire families, and will now be spending significant time behind bars," said Erin Creegan, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire. "Our office continues to be vigilant in working with federal and state law enforcement partners to disrupt these criminal drug trafficking networks and impose harsh penalties on those responsible for operating them."

"Drug traffickers who put profits ahead of human lives must be held accountable for the harm they bring to our communities," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, New England Field Division. "Fentanyl and methamphetamine continue to fuel addiction, destroy families, and threaten public safety across New Hampshire. This eight-year sentence reflects the serious consequences of trafficking these dangerous drugs and underscores our unwavering commitment to identifying, investigating, and bringing those responsible to justice."

The DEA led the investigation with valuable assistance from the Nashua Police Department, New Hampshire State Police, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, and Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cesar Vega and Mike Shannon prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Hampshire.