New Hampton drug trafficker sentenced to 15 years

The son of the New Hampton selectboard chair pleaded guilty to trafficking methamphetamine, fentanyl, and weapons in Belknap Superior Court on Friday, and was sentenced to 7.5-15 years in State Prison.

Thomas Drake, 35, pleaded guilty to four counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled drug, which included a combined total of more than 300 grams of fentanyl, and more than 100 grams of meth, according to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.

He also pleaded guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a dangerous weapon, namely two sets of metallic knuckles. He pleaded guilty to four additional felony counts of possession of a controlled drug.

“Fentanyl and methamphetamine continue to pose a serious threat to communities across New Hampshire,” Attorney General John Formella said in a prepared statement. “This case demonstrates the importance of sustained investigative work and strong partnerships among law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute those who distribute dangerous drugs.

Drake also received consecutive suspended sentences amounting to 15-30 years, suspended for 10 years after he is released from prison.

Drake is the son of New Hampton Selectboard Chair Michael Drake, whose house was raided by the Belknap Regional Special Operations Group in April. The sentencing comes after four separate drug investigations.

The Attorney General’s Office praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, State Police, Gilford Police and New Hampton Police for their investigative work and assistance. The cases were prosecuted by attorney Whit Skinner of the state Drug Prosecution Unit.

“We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for their work in bringing these cases forward and holding this defendant accountable,” Formella stated.

Drug charges

According to a probable cause statement by Manchester Police Officer David Nelson, at 2:15 a.m. on Dec. 26, 2025, he was patrolling Queen City Avenue, and saw a 2015 Subaru Crosstrek parked for a long time at a gas pump. He ran the license plate of the vehicle at the Speedway Gas Station, and found it was registered to Drake.

Nelson reviewed his driving history, and found information indicative of a felony investigation.

He then found Drake was charged, in Gilford, on controlled drug offenses, and called Gilford Police, who confirmed. Gilford Police told Nelson that Drake was found with a “large amount of illegal drugs,” and charged with intent to distribute.

Nelson parked across the street at a Comfort Inn, and saw the car drive off quickly about 15 minutes later. The car went through a red light, and didn’t use a turn signal, while speeding. Nelson caught up to the vehicle on Interstate 293, near Exit 4, and pulled Drake over.

Drake was driving with a passenger, and acknowledged the traffic violations. He told Nelson he was meeting someone at a hotel in Salem. During the traffic stop, Nelson saw a Chore Boy copper wire on the floor of the backseat, which is often used as a filtration system for smoking crack.

Nelson asked Drake to get out of the car, and as he did, Nelson saw a syringe cap on the car seat. Drake immediately put his hands in his pockets, and Nelson said he was hesitant to get out. Concerned he could be armed, Nelson patted Drake down, and found a metal spoon with tan residue, and $800 in cash.

Nelson questioned Drake, asking who he was meeting. Drake said he was going there for his friend’s wedding, but after Nelson’s questioning, he didn’t elaborate. He was also unsure of the name of the hotel, but said he was staying a couple nights.

Nelson spoke with the passenger to verify the story, which didn’t match up. When the passenger got out, a syringe cap could also be seen on that seat, as well as Q-tips in a bag, which Nelson said are consistent with filtering drugs off a spoon before injection.

Nelson asked Drake if he could search the vehicle, and Drake asked if he could just hand over the drug paraphernalia. Nelson said he wanted to search the vehicle, and Drake denied the request. Nelson found probable cause the vehicle had evidence of violations of the Controlled Drug Act, and it was towed to the Manchester Police Department.

A search warrant was executed on Dec. 27, and Nelson found a cigarette pack with a baggie hanging out that appeared to contain 3.9 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, with a note.

Two pairs of gold knuckles were found in the center console, despite Drake being restricted from having weapons. Drake was convicted of selling fentanyl in 2018 and 2019, and possession of a controlled drug in 2020, in Belknap Superior Court.

A tin was also found, containing a bag of 3.6 grams of suspected fentanyl. Drake was subsequently charged, and scheduled to appear in the 9th Circuit Court in Manchester.

Raid

The home of Drake’s father, at 59 Route 132 in New Hampton, was raided by the Belknap Regional Special Operations Group, led by Alton Police Chief Adam Painchaud, on April 16. Police said the target of the search was Thomas Drake.

According to a May 6 report in The Daily Sun, Drake had two bench warrants from Belknap Superior Court for failure to appear on felony drug charges, a bail revocation hearing, and also multiple warrants from New Hampton and Tilton. Police also learned of an outstanding warrant from Manchester.

The Belknap County Sheriff’s Office also had an arrest warrant from Belknap Superior Court for failing to appear on the charges from the Manchester traffic stop.

After the raid, Drake was turned over to New Hampton Police without incident. Belknap County Sheriff’s Office logs state the “high-risk search and arrest warrant” was executed at 11:13 a.m. on April 16, and Drake surrendered at 2:45 p.m. He was booked by New Hampton Police at 3:14 p.m., and taken to Belknap County Jail.

Court dates

Drake appeared in court on charges from New Hampton on April 22, and then April 28, for the Manchester case. He also appeared for Tilton charges on June 15, in the Sixth Circuit Court in Franklin.

Court records show that on May 14, the case was elevated to Hillsborough Superior Court, and Drake was indicted for two counts of being a felon in possession of a dangerous weapon, and two counts of felony drug possession, on July 26. He waived his right to a formal reading of his charges on Aug. 31.

Drake will next appear in Hillsborough Superior Court at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, for a dispositional conference.