United States Drug Enforcement Administration

CONCORD, N.H. – Matthew Schnell, 45, of Bellingham, Massachusetts was sentenced in federal court by U.S. District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe to 71 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release for trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Schnell pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, specifically methamphetamine. 

“This defendant helped run a major operation trafficking dangerous drugs out of central New Hampshire and will now be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “Due to strong partnership with our state and local law enforcement counterparts, we were able to take down this methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. Our office will continue to pursue those who bring harm and destructive addiction to our communities.” 

“Matthew Schnell is now behind bars for facilitating a substantial drug trafficking organization that pushed pounds of methamphetamine into New Hampshire, fueling addiction, violence, and instability in our neighborhoods,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Let this hefty sentence be a warning to others who think they can profit from flooding our streets with dangerous drugs and escape responsibility. The FBI and our partners will find you and ensure you are brought to justice.”

According to the court documents and statements made in court, in the fall of 2022, the FBI’s New Hampshire Major Offender Task Force, and the New Hampshire State Police (“NHSP”) began investigating a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in New Hampshire. The investigation revealed that Schnell obtained methamphetamine from suppliers and then would provide methamphetamine to Thomas Conway for further distribution in New Hampshire. Phone calls and text messages intercepted during the investigation confirmed that the defendant worked as Conway’s primary supplier and business partner. For example, in one conversation, Schnell, Conway, and another co-conspirator discussed the need to need to restructure their drug trafficking organization to ensure a sufficient drug supply. In multiple other intercepted communications, Schnell discussed obtaining multiple pound quantities of methamphetamine for Conway. Law enforcement later seized drugs before they could be distributed. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Major Offender Task Force in partnership with the New Hampshire State Police led the investigation. The Concord Police Department, Franklin Police Department, and New Hampton Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherniske prosecuted the case.  

This case is part of New Hampshire’s 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 U.S. 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.