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Prominent NH business owners named in federal affidavit


More than a dozen men are facing federal charges for their alleged roles in a Canadian drug smuggling outfit that authorities claim has for years funneled marijuana, cocaine and millions of dollars in illicit cash through New Hampshire. The Concord Monitor reporting the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration opened an investigation into the alleged operation in 2008 after Oklahoma state troopers pulled over a pickup truck with New Hampshire plates and discovered more than $2 million hidden inside.

Federal agents later learned that the two men believed to be directing the drug shipments in and out of New Hampshire, Mihail Leventis of Canada and Alkis Nakos of Manchester, had been housed together while incarcerated on drug charges in the Concord state prison in 2005. Agents continued to monitor Nakos, whose family owns Amory Street Pizza in Manchester.

Nearly all of the suspects named are Manchester residents. One, Frank Fowle, co-owns Capital City Automotive on Manchester Street in Concord, according to the affidavit. An employee there, William Swanson, is also named in the document.

The police said Fowle’s brother, Charles Fowle of Manchester, was a prominent distributor of the group’s marijuana and other drugs. Marc Guillemette of Manchester, is accused of drug sales and providing surveillance for Fowle during his transactions.

The others named in the affidavit are Kosmos Koustas, Dean Sieger, Juan Rodriguez Sanchez, Jeremy Blevens, Christopher Ranfos, Kristopher Venturini, John Horne Jr. and Michael Graydon. Ollila indicated during the hearing that there are other suspects not named in the affidavit.

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