Fourth Wave of 'Granite Hammer' Arrests Made in NH

The Manchester Police Department along with the New Hampshire State Police Narcotics Investigation Unit conducted a fourth “Granite Hammer” drug arrest operation on Oct. 20, 2015, that led to four arrests in the Queen City.

Arrested during the roundup were Jordan Duran, 38, of no fixed arrest for resisting arrest and falsifying physical evidence; Ramon Martinez, 38, of Goffstown, who was charged with criminal threatening, simple assault, and possession of controlled drugs (2 grams of heroin and 5 grams of marijuana); Jessica Bouchard, 31, of Manchester, who was charged with sale of a controlled drug (fentanyl) and possession with intent to distribute (fentanyl); and Jason LaFrance, 45, unknown address, who was arrested for sale of a controlled drug (fentanyl), possession with intent to distribute (fentanyl), felonious use of a firearm, armed career criminal, and parole violations.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Manchester Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction. Click this link to find out how to get a name removed from a New Hampshire Patch police report.

According to Lt. Brian O’Keefe of the Manchester Polcie Department, at around 4 p.m. yesterday, detectives reportedly saw a Chevrolet Cavalier with a defective brake light in the Market Basket parking lot on West Auburn Street. The watched as Duran allegedly “engaged in suspicious activity with the rear passenger.” A short time later, Duran left the vehicle. Detectives approached the man and told him to stop but he refused and attempted to flee. A woman and the rear seat passenger then fled the scene. The man was caught a short distance from the store.

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“Detectives located a hypodermic needle inside of his pocket, but the contents had been flushed out and were seeping through his jeans,” according to O’Keefe. “He discarded the contents (heroin) before he was apprehended. No heroin remained inside of the hypodermic needle.”

A second subject, Martinez, was later located and found to have several outstanding warrants.

Search warrants for potential heroin and fentanyl sales were then requested for a Bremer Street apartment at around 8 p.m. Inside of the apartment, police located Bouchard and reportedly seized 183 grams of heroin and a 9 mm handgun. LaFrance, Bouchard’s “alleged co-conspirator,” was later located on Rogers Street.

“LaFrance jumped from a second story window in an attempt to elude police, but was caught after sustaining a serious, but non-life threatening leg injury,” O’Keefe noted. “He was transported to the Elliot Hospital for treatment.”

Duran, Martinez, and Bouchard were all arraigned today; LaFrance will be arraigned after he is medically cleared.