Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald, Dover Police Chief Anthony F. Colarusso, Portsmouth Police Chief Robert Merner, Jon C. DeLena, Assistant Special Agent, United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and Rockingham County Attorney Patricia G. Conway announce that Amy Matton, age 37, of Portsmouth pleaded guilty today in Rockingham County Superior Court to selling methadone that caused the death of Bryant Lausberg, age 27, of Dover.

Ms. Matton was sentenced to fifteen (15) to forty (40) years in the New Hampshire State Prison for selling the controlled drug methadone which caused Bryant Lausberg's death in May 2016. She also received additional concurrent and consecutive sentences for subsequent sales and possession with intent to sell cocaine, amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, methadone and morphine to additional people.

On Sunday, May 29, 2016, Mr. Lausberg sent Ms. Matton a text to buy methadone pills. He drove to Portsmouth around 2:00 PM, walked into her apartment and minutes later he walked out with six methadone pills. Approximately three hours later, Bryant's girlfriend came home to find him deceased. Among other things, Bryant's phone records, Ms. Matton's phone records, video surveillance and Ms. Matton's own statements confirmed that it was Ms. Matton who sold the methadone that resulted in Mr. Lausberg's death. Additionally, continued investigation revealed that Ms. Matton continued to sell illicit narcotics after becoming aware that the sale resulted in Mr. Lausberg's death.

This successful investigation and prosecution came about from a joint investigation and collaboration by the Dover Police Department, the Portsmouth Police Department, the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad, and the Rockingham County Attorney's Office with the assistance of the New Hampshire Department of Justice's Drug Prosecution Unit.