CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Thomas Deware, 56, of Belmont, was sentenced on Monday to 72 months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between June and September, 2019, Deware sold methamphetamine to an individual who was working with law enforcement officers. During three of these purchases, Deware possessed a handgun in a chest holder.
On October 17, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Deware’s residence and recovered a .45 caliber handgun that was consistent with the firearm he possessed during three of the controlled drug purchases.
“Armed drug traffickers present a very serious threat to public health and safety,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “We are working closely with the FBI and our other law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute the dangerous drug dealers who use guns as part of their illegal activities. As Mr. Deware has learned, drug traffickers who carry guns in the Granite State will face substantial federal prison sentences.”
“Whether it’s a large-scale drug trafficking organization, or an individual like Thomas Deware distributing methamphetamine while possessing a firearm, rest assured disrupting and dismantling criminal drug trafficking operations is a critical part of our mission,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to put drug traffickers like Deware permanently out of business and behind bars, as we fight violent crime and work to make our neighborhoods safer.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from Belmont Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cam Le and Joachim Barth.