Six federally charged in alleged conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine in Keene

Aug. 31—A federal grand jury indicted six people Monday on charges alleging they conspired to distribute crack cocaine in Keene, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court of New Hampshire in Concord.

Lamar Carter, Isaiah Wade, Manuel Henderson, Aundre Lester, Xavier Smith and Danna Frazier each face one count in U.S. District Court of New Hampshire in Concord of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

The charges come as the Keene Police Department has seen a significant surge in drug trafficking from out-of-state residents, according to an affidavit filed in the case. That affidavit, written by Special Agent Benjamin Slocum of Homeland Securities Investigations, states that investigators have identified Carter and Wade, reputed gang members who have ties to New Jersey, as leaders of the crack cocaine distribution organization.

Keene police have received information that several members of the organization travel to New Jersey on a weekly basis to resupply with kilos of cocaine, then transport the drugs back to the Elm City, where members manufacture it into crack cocaine, the affidavit states. The document does not cite the source of that information.

Federal prosecutors on Aug. 11 also filed a criminal complaint of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance against Korron Benthall along with the others, but records do not indicate that he has been indicted.

The investigation included nine controlled purchases of drugs by cooperating individuals and an undercover agent between May 5 and July 12, according to the affidavit.

The probe also included members of the Cheshire County Sheriff's Office and the Keene Housing Authority serving a writ of possession at a residence in the city on June 6, Slocum wrote. A writ of possession is a court order which a landlord can take to the sheriff to have served to remove a tenant from a property, according to the N.H. Judicial Branch website.

Upon knocking on the door, law enforcement saw two individuals run out the back door and, shortly after deputies announced their presence and entered the apartment, Frazier came down from one of the upstairs bedrooms, the affidavit states.

Deputies then conducted a search to make sure no one else was present and while doing so observed in plain view on a desk a large quantity of money and a plastic bag with several smaller plastic bags inside containing suspected crack-cocaine, according to the court document.

Deputies obtained a search warrant for the residence and located about 9 ounces of suspected crack cocaine, an unspecified amount of money, a pistol, scales, and New Jersey IDs for Smith and Carter, Slocum wrote.

The two cooperating individuals who worked with police both have criminal records in New Hampshire and agreed to cooperate with law enforcement in exchange for consideration for leniency on pending charges related to crack cocaine distribution, Slocum wrote. The second cooperating individual also received financial compensation for information provided, according to the affidavit, which does not state how much the person was paid.

Law enforcement officials have seen members of the organization, including Carter and Wade, driving around Keene in rental vehicles, Slocum wrote.

"These vehicles are normally rented for the organization using a straw renter," he wrote. "All the straw renters are known narcotic users."

The individuals cooperating with the investigation, along with an undercover agent, made a series of controlled buys in May and June, often initiated by calling one of the suspects, and being met by the same or other alleged members of the organization.

For example, in one of those buys, a cooperating individual contacted Wade on his cellphone and purchased crack cocaine from him at a residence on May 17, the affidavit states. The cooperating individual also called Carter for drugs on May 25 and the undercover agent later purchased crack-cocaine from Henderson, according to the affidavit.

Then, on May 29, a Keene police officer attempted to stop a vehicle with two passengers, one of whom was Henderson, who the officer knew had an active arrest warrant for violation of a state law, Slocum wrote. The vehicle fled and crashed after a short pursuit, at which point Henderson took off on foot, dropping a bag with crack cocaine as he fled, the affidavit states.

Homeland Security Investigations and Keene police arrested Carter and Wade, as well as Christopher Torruellas, on West Street on Aug. 11, according to an affidavit filed along with charges against Torruellas in Cheshire County Superior Court.

Torruellas has been charged in that state court with possessing heroin with intent to sell, possessing crack cocaine, and possessing a firearm as a felon. Police found the gun, a Glock 40, wrapped in a T-shirt in the closet of a Keene hotel room rented by Torruellas, the affidavit written by Keene police Detective Jennifer Truman states. Judge Peter Bornstein has ordered him held without bail.

Carter and Wade were ordered held without bail after they waived their rights to detention hearings, according to court filings. Their lawyers did not immediately return requests for comment Tuesday.

Law enforcement arrested Frazier on Aug. 23, according to court filings. She pleaded not guilty during her arraignment in federal court Monday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel Lynch ordered her held without bail the following day. Her lawyer declined to comment.

Arrest warrants have been issued for the others indicted on the conspiracy charge, court filings indicate.

Ryan Spencer can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1412, or rspencer@keenesentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter at @rspencerKS