Manchester Man Sentenced For Conspiring To Distribute Meth

Sunday, August 3, 2025, 8:00 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

CONCORD, NH.- Last Monday, a 41-year-old Manchester, New Hampshire, man, learned he would be spending the next seven years in federal prison, after being sentenced in Federal Court in Concord, New Hampshire, for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that was responsible for distributing kilogram quantities of methamphetamine throughout the Manchester, New Hampshire, area.

     According to Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack, on Monday, July 28, 2025, Zachary Austin, 41, of Manchester, New Hampshire, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante to 84 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release for his previously entered guilty plea to a federal drug offense.

     On February 25, 2025, Austin appeared in New Hampshire Federal Court and pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Methamphetamine. Austin’s co-defendant, Joseph Coffey, has also entered a guilty plea and will be sentenced at a later date.

Austin And His Co-Defendant Ran A Meth Operation

     According to charging documents and statements made in the District Court, during a narcotics investigation, Investigators of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration identified Austin and Coffey as operators of a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking operation that was responsible for distributing methamphetamine throughout the streets of Manchester, New Hampshire.

     During the investigation, in the months between July 2024 and September 2024, Austin and Coffey sold methamphetamine to undercover Investigators on five occasions. Following the sales, Investigators obtained and executed court-authorized search warrants at their apartment and motor vehicles.

     During the search, Investigators located and seized additional quantities of methamphetamine. In total, during the investigation and subsequent searches, Investigators recovered and seized a total of around 1.66 kilograms or 3.66 pounds of methamphetamine.

Acting U.S. Attorney McCormack Stated

     “Distributing three pounds of methamphetamine is a serious crime with serious consequences,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack. “This seven-year sentence reflects the harm these drugs inflict on our communities and the commitment of law enforcement to hold drug traffickers accountable.”