Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Drug Distribution Conspiracy in Connection with Approximately 30 Pounds of Meth

CONCORD - A Maine man was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for a conspiracy to distribute approximately 14 kilograms (30 pounds) of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Brian Strout, 46, of Turner, Maine, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty to 72 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Strout previously pleaded guilty on January 29, 2024. Strout's co-defendant, Tara Christian, was sentenced on March 14, 2024.

"The sheer quantity of methamphetamine in this case is staggering," said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. "Those who use New Hampshire as a pass-through while enroute to traffic dangerous drugs to other states will be apprehended at our border and prosecuted in federal court. I commend our law enforcement partners for stopping the defendants before they distributed this large amount of methamphetamine in the Granite State and throughout New England."

"DEA stands committed to keeping highly addictive drugs like methamphetamine off the streets of New Hampshire," said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen P. Belleau. "Today's sentence not only holds Mr. Strout accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are contributing to the drug crisis in New England. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney's Office."

On July 7, 2022, investigators received information that Strout and his spouse were obtaining a supply of methamphetamine while at a casino in Everett, Massachusetts for distribution in New Hampshire. Investigators conducted surveillance at the casino and located Strout and his co-defendant spouse loading bags into their vehicle and driving north toward New Hampshire on Interstate 93. When investigators stopped the vehicle, the defendant had 2.7 kilograms of methamphetamine in the vehicle. Further investigation revealed that a FedEx package containing even more methamphetamine was enroute to the defendant in Maine. Agents located and searched the package and seized an additional 11.2 kilograms of pure methamphetamine.

The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, New Hampshire State Police, Maine State Police, and Everett (Massachusetts) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarad Hodes prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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