Two from area among 13 arrested following meth trafficking probe

CONCORD — Two Lakes Region residents were among 13 individuals arrested following a lengthy, interstate drug trafficking investigation between New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and federal agencies.

Those arrested include:

— Stephanie Allard, 43, of Belmont. Allard was arrested on Feb. 17, in Boscawen, on a Merrimack Superior Court warrant for conspiracy to sell methamphetamine.

— Kyle Putnam, 38, of Tilton. Putnam was arrested, also on Feb. 17, in Tilton, on a Merrimack Superior Court warrant for conspiracy to sell methamphetamine.

Both have a record of previous arrests.

The arrests were announced by state Attorney General John M. Formella, Drug Task Force Commander Ellen Arcieri, State Police Col. Nathan Noyes, and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent-in-Charge Brian D. Boyle.

The months-long investigation revealed that Mark Dipaolo, 45, of Plymouth, Massachusetts, supplied methamphetamine to James Towne, 44, of Concord, who then conspired with eight individuals, including Allard and Putnam, to distribute methamphetamine in the Concord area and the Lakes Region, according to the announcement.

Dipaolo was arrested last December in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and Towne was arrested in December in Lebanon.

State Police and the Plymouth Police Department were among the agencies involved in the investigation.