Concord, NH – Attorney General John M. Formella and Drug Task Force Commander Ellen M. Arcieri, announce that Clarence Collins, age 59, of Brooklyn, New York, has pled guilty to one count of Drug Enterprise Leader, three counts of Sale of a Controlled Drug, subsequent offenses, and four counts of Possession of a Controlled Drug with Intent to Distribute, subsequent offenses, in the Hillsborough County Superior Court-Northern District.

“I want to thank our prosecutors, the members of the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force, and our law enforcement partners in this case for their diligence and excellent work investigating and prosecuting Mr. Collins. This case is just the latest example of our commitment to take on those who bring deadly drugs like fentanyl into the Granite State,” said Attorney General Formella. “As our Drug Task Force and prosecutors continue to prove in this and several recent cases, we remain vigilant in our efforts to stop dealers and disrupt drug trafficking networks to prevent the importation of these dangerous, foreign made products into New Hampshire.”

The court sentenced Clarence Collins as follows:

• 20 to 50 years in the New Hampshire State Prison, stand committed, with 2 years of the minimum sentence suspended upon successful completion of the FOCUS Unit Program, among other conditions, on the count of drug enterprise leader for conspiring with one or more persons as an organizer, supervisor, financier, or manager to engage for profit in a scheme or course of conduct to unlawfully sell and/or transport methamphetamine in New Hampshire between April of 2022 through July of 2022.
• 10 to 20 years in the New Hampshire State Prison, stand committed, among other conditions, to run concurrently to the drug enterprise leader charge, on three counts of sale of controlled drug, subsequent offense, for selling a quantity of one (1) ounce or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of five (5) grams or more of fentanyl on May 17, 2022, and for selling a quantity of one (1) ounce or more of methamphetamine on June 29, 2022 in Manchester, New Hampshire.
• 15 to 30 years in the New Hampshire State Prison, all suspended for 10 years upon release from incarceration, to run consecutively to the above charges, on four counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in a quantity of five (5) ounces or more, fentanyl in a quantity of five (5) grams or more, crack cocaine in a quantity of five (5) grams or more, and cocaine in a quantity of one half (1/2) ounce or more on July 13, 2022 in Manchester, New Hampshire.

The evidence in this case established that Clarence Collins was trafficking various quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other types of drugs in central and southern New Hampshire. In this investigation, Clarence Collins sold or orchestrated the sale of controlled drugs on multiple separate occasions to either a confidential informant and/or an undercover investigator. The apprehension of Clarence Collins resulted in about 400 grams of methamphetamine, about 400 grams of fentanyl, and various quantities of other types of drugs being removed from the community.

The investigation and resolution of this case was the result of the collaborative efforts of the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force, the New Hampshire State Police, United States Drug Enforcement Administration, Manchester Police Department, and the Franklin Police Department.