Federal judge sentences local resident to 6.5 years for drug sales

LACONIA — A local resident who sold drugs and weapons to people cooperating with a law enforcement investigation was sentenced to more than six years in federal prison on April 17.

Steven Ridgeway, 51, of Laconia, was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante to 78 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The sentencing comes after Ridgeway pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of controlled substances and one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

Over a six-month period, according to a spokesperson from the Department of Justice, Ridgeway sold methamphetamine, fentanyl and two firearms to people who acted as confidential witnesses in the government’s investigation. Ridgeway has a prior felony conviction, which prohibits him from possessing a gun.

The investigation was part of Operation Take Back America, according a DOJ press release, which describes the operation as “a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”

The investigation was led by the FBI’s Major Offender Task Force, and was assisted by Laconia and State Police and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherniske.

“Individuals like the defendant — who choose to traffic illegal drugs and arm themselves despite their prior convictions — demonstrate a brazen disregard for the laws and the safety of our communities. This case underscores the dangerous and persistent threat posed by the combination of methamphetamine and firearms,” said Jay McCormack, acting U.S. Attorney.

James Crowley, acting special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Division, said Ridgeway was “a one-stop shop for methamphetamine, profiting from other people’s pain and addiction. With [the] sentence, this previously convicted felon has been held accountable for his blatant disregard for the law. Getting illegal drugs off the street and illegal firearms out of criminals’ hands, like we did in this case, immediately makes our communities safer.”