Manchester Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Meth Conspiracy; Over 3 Pounds Sourced from Lawrence

September 11, 2025

By: Scanner Alerts Media Group

A Manchester man has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, a case involving more than three pounds of the drug sourced from Lawrence.

Joseph Coffey, 32, was sentenced on September 9, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Joseph N. Laplante. Coffey pleaded guilty on February 25, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. His co-defendant, Zachary Austin, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison.

According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Coffey and Austin operated a methamphetamine distribution business from their shared Manchester apartment. Between July and September 2024, they sold methamphetamine to law enforcement on five occasions. Subsequent searches of their apartment and vehicle uncovered additional methamphetamine, with a total of approximately 3.66 pounds recovered.

The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen prosecuted the case.

Credit: U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Hampshire