NEWPORT, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) – 20 people have been arrested in Sullivan County this month as part of Operation Granite Shield.

In October the Newport and Claremont Police Departments and the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office were awarded grant funding from the New Hampshire Department of Safety for the Substance Abuse Reduction Initiative, also known as Granite Shield.

Over the course of the month authorities worked with other state and federal law enforcement partners to conduct a series of drug trafficking investigations in the greater Newport and Claremont area. As a result, a total of 20 suspects were arrested for felony level drug offenses.

Those offenses include Sale of Controlled Drugs, Conspiracy to Commit Sale of Controlled Drugs, Possession of Controlled Drugs with Intent to Deliver, and Possession/Transportation of Controlled Drugs.

Authorities searched four residences and three vehicles during the investigations and seized about 571 grams of suspected Fentanyl, 167 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 62 grams of suspected Cocaine, 10 grams of suspected Crack Cocaine, 67 prescription narcotics, and three firearms.

17 of those arrested were named in a joint news release from the Newport Police Department on Wednesday.

The following suspects were arrested and charged with Possession of Drugs: Jonathan Baldwin, 39, James Crary, 35, Raymond Decesare, 59, Mark Martin, 60, Cassandra Mathews, 50, Dezi Patten, 39, Carol Pierce, 36, Samantha Clark-West, 29, and Shaun Willey, 46, all of Newport, Aaron Kiniry, 37, of Charlestown, and Maciel Wilson, 46 of Clarmont.

Crary is also charged with Falsifying Physical Evidence, Patten with Sale of Drugs, and Willey with Maintaining Common Nuisance.

Jessica Adams, 35, of Newport and Everett Cain, 31, of Claremont are both charged with Conspiracy to Commit Sale of Drugs and Possession with Intent. Ashleigh Carroll, 35, Shawn Jones, 37, both of Newport, and Daniel Chick, 55, of Claremont were also charged with Possession with Intent.

Alexis Gagnon, 25, of Newport is charged with Transporting Drugs in a Motor Vehicle.

Additional arrests and charges are anticipated as evidence continues to be processed.

The New Hampshire Information and Analysis Center, the New Hampshire State Police Narcotics Investigation Unit, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force, New Hampshire Probation and Parole, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration assisted in the investigations.