NORTH HAVERHILL — A 42-year-old White River Junction man with a history of drug convictions and probation violations was sentenced to up to seven years in New Hampshire state prison for selling fentanyl to a West Lebanon woman who then allegedly provided the drug to an Upper Valley teenager who was found dead at her father’s home the following morning.
Darryl Strong, whose last known address was at Lantern Road in White River Junction, pleaded guilty to multiple charges of possession and sale of narcotics in Grafton County Superior Court on Thursday.
The resolution of Strong’s case is the first for a trio of defendants who prosecutors allege were involved in procuring fentanyl for the 16-year-old girl a few days before New Year’s.
Strong, who told the court his education ended in 10th grade, was sentenced from a minimum of 3½ years and a maximum of seven years for the sale of fentanyl to Mya Blanchard, of West Lebanon. The sale occurred in the early morning hours of Dec. 28, according to prosecutors. Blanchard then allegedly sold the fentanyl to the teenager, who was found unresponsive in her bed by her father later that morning on South Main Street in West Lebanon, Amanda Kniveton, a Grafton County prosecutor, told on the court on Thursday.
Strong also was sentenced to 7½ years to 15 years, all suspended, after pleading guilty to the sale of a controlled drug on Dec. 30, two days after the fentanyl sale to Blanchard. That sentence would be triggered and served consecutively if he violates the conditions of the lesser sentence.
The teenager had reached out to Blanchard and her associate, Hakeem Harris, both of whom she had relied on in the past to purchase drugs, Kniveton told to the court before Judge Lawrence MacLeod reviewed the plea deal and imposed sentence.
According to Kniveton, the pair offered to transport the teenager to their supplier in exchange for “five bags.”
Strong later admitted under questioning by police that he sold seven packets of what he thought was heroin for $70 to Blanchard, who was accompanied by Harris, in the parking lot of the apartment at Butternut Lane where Strong was residing. (Subsequent analysis found the batch of drugs to be fentanyl.)
Strong told police “that he did not sell to children and was unaware that (the teenager) was in the vehicle with Blanchard at the time of the transaction,” Kniveton told the court.
Strong, Harris and Blanchard were charged with selling controlled substances in January, and the latter two were additionally charged with endangering the welfare of a child.
In May, according to state court records, Blanchard was indicted and further charged with selling drugs — death resulting, a charge that prosecutors are cautious to lodge because of the burden of proof. In New Hampshire, conviction can result in a mandatory life sentence.
Because of the age of the victim, much of the court record in the Strong, Harris and Blanchard prosecutions is sealed.
As part of Strong’s plea deal, he is required to testify at any court trial for Blanchard and Harris, according to court documents.
Sentencing documents were filed in May for Harris, and he was scheduled for a plea and sentencing hearing this month. However, on July 8 Harris filed a notice with the court to withdraw his plea agreement and cancel the hearing, in addition to serving notice that his attorney had withdrawn from the case, according to court records.
Blanchard, meanwhile, is scheduled for a pre-trial conference on July 22.
During his hearing, in response to the judge quizzing Strong whether he understood his rights and the plea agreement he has entered into with the court, Strong responded more than 100 times with the reply, “Yes, your honor.”
In accepting Strong’s plea deal, MacLeod explained he was doing so because “it’s evident from your record you have a substance abuse problem. Although I hope you would recognize that is no excuse for your conduct.”
The judge said the sentence “structure” balanced rehabilitation, punishment and deterrence.”
“I hope you take as much advantage as you can of the treatment that’ll be available to you,” said the judge, noting that his failure to address substance abuse “certainly is a root cause of your difficulties.”
Contact John Lippman at jlippman@vnews.com.
