Fifteen people indicted by NH authorities in Lawrence-based drug operation

The U.S. Attorney's Office for announced Thursday that 15 people have been indicted in connection with a major drug trafficking operation based out of Lawrence, Massachusetts. Nine of the defendants were arrested over the past two days on conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and two others were already in custody, serving prison sentences in and Massachusetts. Another defendant died just days after the indictment was issued, and the remaining three are still at large. The following defendants are already in custody: Yonathan Elias Baez-Santos, 22, of Methuen, Massachusetts Candido Armando Diaz-Fernandez, 30, Dedham, Massachusetts Julio Rafael Mejia-Baez, 23, of Boston, Massachusetts Aaron Loew, 44, of Plaistow, Benjamin Conkright, 28, of Whitefield, Johnnie Boynton, 51, of Littleton, Anthony Monbleau, 32, of Brookline, Erika Barlow, 32, of Nashua, Dylan Painter, 26, of Nashua, Elaine Soto-Villar, 25, of Methuen, Massachusetts, was already in custody, serving a Massachusetts state prison sentence for a felony drug conviction Cody Stanford, 29, of Pembroke, , was already in custody, serving a state prison sentence for a felony drug conviction These three defendants have not yet been apprehended: Melvin Villar-Lugo, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts Felix Manuel Mejia-Gonzalez, 32, of Lawrence, Massachusetts Alexander Lechappelle, 26, of Lawrence, Massachusetts Benjamin Bryant, 33, of Manchester, , was also indicted in connection with the case, but authorities said he died on Sept.