Belmont man charged after police seize stash of drugs, hordes of cash

LACONIA — A Belmont man is being held in lieu of cash bail after authorities searched his Belmont residence and found several controlled drugs, thousands in cash and other evidence of drug trafficking.

Oliver Blackstone, 31, of 37 Northbrook Road, in Belmont, was charged Tuesday on four counts of possession of controlled drugs with intent to distribute, according to Assistant Belknap County Attorney Keith Cormier.

Blackstone was arrested May 2 at his residence on a warrant issued by Belknap County Superior Court for failing to appear for a hearing on two drug sales charges he was already facing. The arrest was carried out by a unit of the New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force comprising Belknap County, Rockingham County, and Stafford County sheriff’s deputies, and officers from the Belmont Police Department and the U.S. Marshal’s Service.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the arrest on the latest charges, when the officers arrived at the house, they were let in by a female occupant who told them Blackstone was in the bedroom. When officers went into the bedroom, they saw Blackstone allegedly hiding drugs and money.

One of the officers informed his superior that he saw drugs, drug paraphernalia and cash, whereupon the Belknap County Drug Task Force obtained a search warrant for the premises.

According to the affidavit, when officers executed the search warrant, they seized heroin, fentanyl (or a combination of the two), methamphetamine, heroin, clonazepam, suboxone, marijuana, brepremorpine, and hydrochloride/Narloxone.

In addition, they found several thousands of dollars in cash, mostly in $20 bills, needles, pipes, three firearms, and a cellphone displaying a message “indicative of drug sales,” the affidavit states.

On Tuesday, Blackstone’s bail was set at $20,000 cash, which will be concurrent with the $20,000 cash bail set when he was arrested on May 2, Cormier said.

At this point, Blackstone has been charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, clonazepam, and suboxone, though Cormier said there is a possibility of a fifth count of possession with intent to distribute another illegal or controlled drug.

The Belknap County Drug Task Force comprises investigators from the County Sheriff’s Department, the Belmont, Center Harbor and Tilton police departments, and other local police departments who assist by providing critical information to assist in investigations.