Peru woman sentenced to 10 years as major drug trafficker

PLATTSBURGH | A Peru woman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and $40,000 in fines and restitution for her lead role in a major drug distribution ring. Kristen Carnahan was sentenced earlier this month to a total of 10 years in prison on four separate indictments relating to the trafficking of narcotics in Clinton County. On Oct.10, Carnahan accepted a plea offer and pled to charges from each of the four indictments against her, including a plea to Operating as a Major Trafficker during the months of June through December of 2023, during which she acted as the director of a controlled substances organization that had proceeds from the sale of controlled substances of at least $75,000.00. Carnahan was collectively prosecuted by Clinton County Assistant District Attorneys Jeffrey Kehm, Jennifer Manning, and Kurt Reh. During an interview with probation, Carnahan attempted to minimize her responsibility and claimed that the other individuals involved were simply using her home to sell their own narcotics and were not selling for Carnahan. Assistant District Attorney Kehm argued for a re- admit to the count of Operating as a Major Trafficker, arguing that Carnahan needed to be held accountable for her crimes and fully admit to her role as the leader of the local drug ring. Following additional questioning under oath, Carnahan admitted to being the leader of the drug trafficking operation and that the other individuals involved were selling the narcotics and other drugs at her direction. According to the Clinton County District Attorney's Office, Judge William Favreau ultimately went along with the agreed-upon disposition, which in his eyes was "extremely generous" and sentenced Carnahan to a total of 10 years in prison and nearly $40,000.00 in fines, surcharges, and restitution. District Attorney Andrew J. Wylie said "For the majority of 2023, Kristen Carnahan was the central figure in the drug trade occurring in Clinton County and this sentence appropriately reflects that. Hopefully, this sends a strong message that there will be consequences for individuals who continue to profit from the sale of narcotics, including, but not limited to cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine at the expense of our community."

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Peru woman sentenced to 10 years as major drug trafficker

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