Manchester Man Sentenced to Five Years for Trafficking Pounds of Methamphetamine

Manchester Man Sentenced to Five Years for Trafficking Pounds of Methamphetamine

CONCORD - A Manchester man was sentenced today in federal court for drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Michael Raiche, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe to 60 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. In July 2025, Raiche pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, specifically methamphetamine.

"The defendant conspired with others to distribute dangerous drugs in our state," said U.S. Attorney Creegan. "Today's sentence reflects the serious threat posed by those who deal in drugs like methamphetamine. Our office will continue to pursue individuals and organizations who profit from drug trafficking in our communities."

"Michael Raiche pushed massive amounts of meth onto New Hampshire's streets and was caught red-handed selling this poison on six separate occasions," said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Boston Division. "While he sits behind bars contemplating the consequences of his criminal conduct, the FBI and our partners will continue to target those fueling the Granite State's drug epidemic and callously profiting from people's pain and addiction."

"This case highlights the strength of our partnership with federal and state agencies," said Colonel Mark B. Hall, Director, New Hampshire State Police. "The Collaboration between the FBI, our Local Law Enforcement partners, and New Hampshire State Police Narcotics Investigations Unit has led to the successful disruption of the illegal distribution of narcotics that is threatening our communities. We remain committed to holding those responsible, accountable and protecting public safety."

According to the court documents and statements made in court, in the fall of 2022 the FBI, New Hampshire Major Offender Task Force, and the New Hampshire State Police ("NHSP") began investigating a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in New Hampshire. On multiple occasions, a confidential source (or "CS") sought to purchase methamphetamine from Thomas Conway who told the CS that "Mike," the defendant, would take care of him. In December 2022, Conway told the CS about the defendant taking over his drug distribution business. Phone calls and text messages intercepted during the investigation confirmed that the defendant worked as a mid-level methamphetamine distributor for Conway and the two discussed the need to restructure their drug trafficking organization to ensure a sufficient drug supply. In one call on March 20, 2023, Conway told the defendant he had bought a pound of methamphetamine. Thereafter, on March 22, 2023, NHSP pulled over another of the defendant's co-conspirators and found about one pound of methamphetamine in a briefcase in the car. In a call with Conway, they discussed how they anticipated the police search of the vehicle and finding one pound of methamphetamine.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Major Offender Task Force in partnership with the New Hampshire State Police led the investigation. The Concord Police Department, Franklin Police Department, and New Hampton Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherniske prosecuted the case.