HUDSON, N.H. — A monthslong investigation into drug trafficking resulted in multiple arrests, the seizure of various narcotics — including fentanyl and methamphetamine — and the recovery of firearms.

The Hudson Police Department announced in a press release on Thursday that the four charged were Kenny Eustate, 40, of Hudson; Matthew Williams, 42, of Manchester, New Hampshire; Sarah LaFond, 36, of Manchester, New Hampshire; and Karen Makela, 41, of an unknown address.

On Oct. 30, the Hudson Police, working alongside the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Southern New Hampshire Special Operations Unit, executed a search warrant at a residence in their town. Police said officers discovered fentanyl, methamphetamine, prescription medications, firearms, and other evidence linked to drug distribution.

Three individuals were taken into custody at the scene, including Eustate, arrested on active warrants for sale of controlled drugs and failure to appear. Police said that evidence recovered during the search led to additional charges levied against Eustate, including being a felon in possession of a deadly weapon.

Williams and LaFond were both arrested on outstanding burglary and theft warrants issued by the Manchester Police Department.

The investigation continued, leading to the arrest of Makela on Dec. 3. Makela faced charges of sale of controlled drugs and two counts of breach of bail. According to police, at the time of her arrest, she was found in possession of fentanyl and methamphetamine, resulting in additional drug possession charges.

Makela was arraigned on Dec. 4 in the 9th Circuit Nashua District Court and held on preventative detention.

Eustate was also arraigned in the 9th Circuit Nashua District Court and held on preventative detention.

Williams and LaFond were booked by the Hudson Police before being released to authorities in Manchester.

“The Hudson Police Department would like to thank the DEA, and the Southern New Hampshire Special Operations Unit for their continued assistance and support throughout the investigation,” police said in the release.

Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.

Editor’s note: This story may be updated as we verify additional details.

A newly released photograph shows New Hampshire businessman and inventor Dean Kamen with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as well as English billionaire Richard Branson outside on what appears to be a beach. The image was part of the latest batch of files published by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Friday, as part of an ongoing inquiry into Epstein.

Kamen’s name has previously appeared in a flight log connected to Epstein, but this is the first public image of the two together.

Kamen, who is 74, has not been accused of any wrongdoing related to his time spent with Epstein. It isn’t clear how often the men traveled together, or when they were last in communication.

The photo of Epstein, Kamen and Branson — the British entrepreneur behind Virgin Atlantic and other companies — is undated. No other context was provided for the image.

NHPR attempted to contact Kamen on Friday morning by email for comment through two associates who have worked closely with him in recent years, but did not immediately receive a response.

Kamen’s name previously appeared in a 2003 flight log for Epstein’s private jet. The flight entry references a trip from John F. Kennedy airport in New York to Monterey, California.

Kamen is himself an avid pilot, who at times has commuted from his home in Bedford to his offices in Manchester via a personal helicopter. After finding early success designing medical devices, Kamen minted his status as a celebrity inventor in 2001, when he rolled out the Segway personal transport device on national television.

(Kamen served on NHPR’s Board of Trustees from 1987 to 1992.)

Epstein died in 2019 as he awaited trial on a range of criminal charges related to child sex trafficking and abuse.

Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime accomplice, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022 for aiding in that sex trafficking operation. Before her arrest, Maxwell was living in a secluded home in Bradford, New Hampshire.

It isn’t clear how Maxwell came to live in New Hampshire, or if she had any relationship with Kamen.

Epstein’s relationships with powerful figures including President Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and Bill Gates, among others, has been a major source of controversy in Washington, with a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers calling for the release of records.

Last month, Trump signed a measure ordering the Justice Department to release more materials related to its investigations into Epstein, following the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. It isn’t clear what those files, which are expected to be released, in part, next week, may contain.

In recent years, Kamen has become the central figure in a massive government-funded project in Manchester that aims to one day develop medical technologies that could help regrow human tissues and organs. The project has been championed by powerful figures in New Hampshire, including Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

Cooking your Christmas dinner and missing that one key ingredient? In New Hampshire, you might find it difficult to locate an open grocery store on Dec. 25.