Two men from Manchester have admitted guilt in a federal court for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack.
Joseph Coffey, aged 31, and Zachary Austin, aged 41, each entered guilty pleas to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Sentencing has been scheduled by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante for June 9, 2025. The indictment against the defendants was issued on October 9, 2024.
Court documents and statements reveal that between July 10 and September 19 of last year, Coffey and Austin sold over two pounds of methamphetamine to law enforcement across five transactions. Most sales occurred at their shared residence in Manchester. A search warrant executed at this location led to the recovery of methamphetamine, firearms accessories, empty rifle magazines, and ammunition containers. Additionally, on September 16 last year, Austin was stopped in New Hampshire for a traffic violation while returning from Lawrence, Massachusetts. A subsequent search of his vehicle uncovered more than one pound of methamphetamine.
The statute under which they are charged allows for a sentence not exceeding 20 years in prison, with at least three years of supervised release and a maximum fine of $1 million. Sentences are determined by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
The investigation was spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration with Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande handling prosecution duties.
