Greenfield Man Sentenced to 85 Months for Fentanyl Trafficking

             CONCORD - Ira Weeks, 40, of Greenfield, was sentenced to 85 months in federal prison for participating in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.

             According to court documents and statements made in court, Weeks conspired with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl.  Weeks obtained the fentanyl from a source of supply in Methuen, Massachusetts. As part of the investigation, in December 2017 the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) intercepted phone communications between Weeks and his co-conspirator wife in which the couple ordered quantities of fentanyl from their Methuen drug source.  DEA subsequently surveilled Weeks in Methuen meeting with the drug source on approximately four occasions.  The DEA and the New Hampshire State Police arranged to conduct motor vehicle stops on Week’s vehicle after observing him meet with his drug source.  These stops resulted in the seizure of over 175 grams of fentanyl.

             Weeks previously pleaded guilty on May 27, 2020.  His wife, Shelley Weeks, was also indicted in the conspiracy.  She pleaded guilty on March 26, 2020 and is awaiting sentencing. 

             “Interstate fentanyl traffickers make a deadly drug available for sale in our state,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “The results have been disastrous.  The substantial prison sentence imposed in this case should serve as a warning to those would choose to involve themselves in this dangerous business.”

             “Fentanyl is causing deaths in record numbers and DEA’s top priority is to aggressively pursue anyone who distributes this poison,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Illegal drug distribution ravages the very foundations of our families and communities so every time we take fentanyl off the streets, lives are saved.  This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”

             This matter was investigated by the DEA with assistance from the New Hampshire State Police.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis.

             Agencies participating in this investigation are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy.  Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement.  The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.