United States Drug Enforcement Administration

CONCORD, N.H. - Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England and Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith announced today that Santiago Marino Reyes-Lara, a/k/a Jean Carlos Sotomayor-Venerio, 27, of Lawrence, Massachusetts pleaded guilty today to unlawful possession with the intent to distribute cocaine (“crack”) and heroin. Reyes-Lara appeared before United States District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro to enter his guilty plea.

According to documents that were filed in United States District Court, Reyes-Lara was arrested in Nashua on April 22, 2014 after a vehicle he was operating was found to contain 22 grams of cocaine (“crack”) and 6.5 grams of heroin. The drugs were hidden in a tire jack. Reyes-Lara’s arrest was part of a long term investigation by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the Nashua and Hudson, New Hampshire Police Departments into the trafficking of cocaine (“crack), cocaine and heroin in and around Nashua and Hudson, New Hampshire areas by Lawrence, Massachusetts-based narcotics traffickers. As a result of the four year investigation, 16 individuals, including Reyes-Lara, were arrested, and approximately $60,000 and multiple vehicles were seized, many of which contained electronic hidden compartments to transport the narcotics into New Hampshire. Narcotics seizures included approximately 1,000 grams of cocaine, 300 grams of heroin, and 200 grams of cocaine (“crack”).

A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for September 8, 2015. Reyes-Lara faces a maximum sentence of 20 years. He is subject to the advisory sentencing guidelines which will likely generate a sentencing range that is less than 20 years. The case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, and the Nashua and Hudson, New Hampshire Police Departments.