City resident sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for drug trafficking, also accused of selling fatal dose of fentanyl

A city resident was sentenced this month to more than 13 years in federal prison on drug trafficking and conspiracy charges. Benjamin M. Fields also faces felony charges in Belknap Superior Court, including for selling fentanyl to someone who later fatally overdosed on the drug.

Fields, 43, was sentenced on Oct. 1, by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante, to 160 months in federal prison, and four years of supervised release.

Fields was convicted of conspiring to distribute drugs, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. The case came from the New Hampshire Homeland Security Task Force, according to information from the U.S. Department of Justice.

“This defendant has a serious criminal record and the evidence revealed in this investigation showed that he was a major retailer of highly addictive substances that have ravaged New Hampshire communities and families with addiction for years,” said Erin Creegan, U.S. attorney for the District of New Hampshire, according to a media release.

Fields was one of several dealers investigated. The release stated he sold 3 kilograms of fentanyl, among other controlled substances, within a six-month period in 2023 and 2024.

“Mr. Fields was a significant hub connecting others in a multi-state drug trafficking enterprise, and for that he has received a very serious prison sentence,” Creegan said. “I am grateful for the state and federal partnership that has helped put this dangerous individual behind bars for a long time, and we will continue to dismantle organizations and prosecute individuals profiting from the illicit sale of narcotics.”

The release also stated Fields sought to trade a firearm for drugs during dealings with a drug trafficking organization around Lawrence, Massachusetts.

According to a release by the DOJ, in October 2023, officers received information the drug trafficking organization had been distributing narcotics to customers and dealers in New Hampshire, and Maine, using text messages and messaging apps.

Between fall 2023 and spring 2024, officers made controlled buys, and through court-authorized searches of homes used by the traffickers, seized 2.5 kg of fentanyl, 250 g of methamphetamine, and 28 g of cocaine. Handguns were also recovered.

Officers searched the social media accounts and phones of the traffickers, revealing communication between the organization and dealers arranging drug purchases. These totaled 20 kg of fentanyl, 1 kg of meth, and 200 g of cocaine. The DOJ stated six dealers also tried to trade firearms for narcotics.

Jarod Forget, special agent in charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration, said in the release the sentence holds Fields accountable for possessing a “staggering quantity of fentanyl.” He added Fields demonstrated “a repeated disregard for the law.”

“Fentanyl trafficking is not a victimless crime — it destroys families and takes lives,” Forget said, in the release. “The fact that this defendant was willing to participate in a scheme involving the exchange of a firearm for drugs further demonstrates the dangerous intersection of narcotics trafficking and violence.”

The DEA led the investigation and was assisted by Laconia, Bedford, Hudson, Manchester and Nashua Police, State Police, Strafford County Sheriff’s Department, and paralegal specialist Christine True. The case was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Cesar Vega.

The prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, set up through Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. It aims to eliminate criminal cartels, gangs, transnational criminal organizations, human smuggling, and trafficking rings around the world.

“The DEA will continue working with law-enforcement partners to pursue those who profit from this deadly poison and work to ensure they are held accountable for the harm they cause in our communities,” Forget stated.

Charges in Superior Court

Fields has six open cases in Belknap Superior Court, and dozens of felonies and misdemeanors.

The most serious charge is a special felony for sale of a controlled drug, resulting in death. Fields was indicted on April 18, 2025, for allegedly selling a “quantity” of fentanyl to a 45-year-old person in March 2024, who overdosed and died from the drugs.

Fields is represented by Michael J. Cornelio and Meredith Byerly of NH Public Defenders, and Assistant County Attorney Alex Smeaton is prosecuting the case.

Fields was read his charges in court on May 7, 2025, and last appeared in Belknap Superior Court for a settlement conference on Aug. 7.

Fields was being held in the Merrimack County House of Corrections on the federal charges, and the Belknap County Attorney’s Office petitioned to release Fields, to transport him for court appearances on Jan. 20.

He was due to appear in court for a settlement conference on Feb. 2, to answer to the charges, with that transportation at the request of the U.S. Marshal’s Office and Merrimack County House of Corrections Superintendent Garrett Jewell. The request was approved by Judge Elizabeth Leonard. The sheriff’s office returned Fields to the U.S. Marshal’s Office, and from there he was brought back to the Merrimack County House of Corrections.

In a case filed on Sept. 12, 2024, Fields was charged with felony domestic violence assault; assault with a deadly weapon causing bodily injury; and criminal threatening with a deadly weapon. He was also charged with two misdemeanors for domestic violence assault causing bodily injury, and misdemeanor criminal mischief. He was indicted on the felonies on Sept. 20, 2024.

In a criminal case filed on Oct. 8, 2024, Fields is facing two felony charges of witness tampering. He was indicted on Dec. 20, 2024.

On Feb. 21, 2025, Fields was indicted for a felony falsifying evidence charge, which allegedly took place on Sept. 4, 2024.

Fields was indicted on March 26, 2025, for a special felony for the sale of meth, which allegedly happened on Aug. 31, 2024.

An indictment is not an indication of guilt. Rather, it is a finding by a Grand Jury that enough evidence of an alleged crime exists to warrant bringing a case to trial.

Fields last appeared in Belknap Superior Court on Aug. 7, for a settlement conference. 

He also faces 22 misdemeanor charges for stalking and domestic violence in Laconia District Court, which allegedly occurred between Sept. 17, and Oct. 8, 2024. He is accused of calling someone the court ruled he should have no contact.

The case was filed on Oct. 28, 2024. A trial was initially scheduled for Nov. 21, 2024, but has been canceled six times, with the last on April 30, 2026.

Fields is scheduled to appear for a status hearing in Laconia District Court on Tuesday, Oct. 13.